My kids know me by my words, instruction, actions, or example, but also my reception to their input. It's this last one that I think about this morning. It's automatic for many parents to simply care for or provide for the needs of their babies when they are little. It is funny how even at very young ages a child's development is hingent on the parent's response to a child's action. One of the first ways they communicate is through facial expression. A baby will recognize anger, joy, satisfaction, and approval, but also will be affected by aloofness, neglect, unresponsiveness, and disapproval. A child's confidence is grown when a parent attentively listens to a babies babble. This attentiveness doesn't come from an inherent need to understand the deep message the baby is trying to convey, but one simply of love and the reinforcement that the child to has a voice that is important.
All of this reflects our relationship with God. We may struggle with prayer when we begin to practice it. We may struggle reading the Bible when we crack the pages for the first time. Hearing God's voice correctly, comes first with realization that God is intently listening to our babble. Waiting for our understanding to grow so that He can speak. When we continue to choose Him and seek Him in our lives we gain the understanding that He is smiling back at us knowing He loves us for our trying.
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