Joyful Worship

A few days ago I spoke with my son Paul, proud father of Malorie, 6 months old. He was giving me all the Malorie-news: first tooth is now through, rolls both ways (which is good, because it used to make her mad when she wound up on her tummy and couldn't get back to her back!), and, Paul claims, she calls him Da-da.

I asked Paul, "Are you sure she is really associating the sound da-da with you? Are you sure she isn't just babbling?" (What kind of Nanna am I, to question Malorie's genius!)

"Well we wondered that at first, too," Paul said. "But then we noticed that she will purposely make some sound to get my attention, and when I look over, she gives me a big smile and says 'Da-da'." He went on to tell me that she doesn't say it when he is gone.

Now, I know how Malorie smiles: with her entire body! It looks like she's being tickled. It's something she does that shows pure delight, and seeing it generates pure delight in all around her.

I also know that her Mommy, if she is anything like I was, probably starts telling her, a few minutes before Paul walks in the door each evening, "Malorie, Daddy is coming soon! Won't it be fun to see Daddy?" Maybe Malorie even starts looking around for Daddy when Janel mentions him. I don't know if she is old enough to think about Daddy when he is gone, yet, but hearing his name must conjure up his image for her, and maybe she even anticipates the fun she will have playing with her Daddy. She certainly doesn't know that when he is invisible to her he is really still in existence, working hard to make a living and provide for her. Some day she will understand that, but for now she just lives in the present, and that present sure is great when Daddy is home!

Bear with me; this really is about worship!

You see, hearing this story made me wonder. How many of us get that excited to see our Heavenly Father? How many of us laugh and giggle with anticipation when we think about going to worship on Sunday morning? How many of us, like Malorie, don't know where our Father is if we can't see him? How many of us realize that the best way to see Him is through the Church?
This week, when you come into the Sanctuary, why not anticipate his presence, smiling with your whole body, and calling out "Da-da!"