joy of nine9

Welcome to Sabbath Moments, the Saturday meme hosted by Colleen at Thoughts on Grace. Please join us.

Sabbath moments are a way of taking time to rest in God, to enjoy God in silence or in nature. The word sabbath comes from a Hebrew word meaning “cease.” And that is what we need to do sometimes, cease our activity and live in the moment and breathe in God.

Most of today, tonight and in the early morning on Sunday, I am babysitting my 4 month old, breast-fed grandson. My daughter, who is in another wedding party today, was sick with worry before she left. Her mother-in-law had babysat two days ago for the reception and dinner that followed when Declan had cried for at least one and a half hours. He did not drink a drop from the bottle the whole evening.

I am not having a problem.  Declan has only whined for perhaps 30 seconds, I respond to his need and he starts smiling and cooing. Just like any other human being, my grandson becomes frustrated and upset when people cannot read his pre-verbal way of communicating. Mary kept phoning me and finally after the second of four bottles of breast milk and into his third nap, she relaxed and had fun dancing for the first time in more than a year.

However, the main reason why this little fellow was so content is that my heart is open to not only God but to the Holy Spirit within tiny Declan as I pray for him. Of course, Declan is wide open to the flow of the Spirit.  The Spirit flows from the baby to me, not just from my heart to the baby.

I was shocked the first time that I experienced this powerful touch of God through an infant.  Years ago, I had been struggling to centre myself in the Lord’s presence while I nursed one of my babies. I was tired, actually I was exhausted and felt completely depleted when an unexpected flow of heat, the fire of God’s love flowed into me. Joy bubbled up, I started smiling, felt invigorated, my head cleared and all the tension left my muscles. I heard these words , silently within me,

 “I move how I want, when I want. You cannot control my Spirit or manipulate me because I am the Lord of your spirituality, not you. And at this moment, I choose to move through the most open soul here, your infant. She is my daughter, made in my image. Relax. Humble yourself and let me heal you through your baby.