Daddy, Watch This!

If you are, or have been, a parent of young children you will be able to identify with this post. My two kids are firmly entrenched in the "Daddy, watch this!" Phase. It's the stage of life in which your kid wants you to watch every little thing they do. For us, this usually takes place in the next-door neighbor's pool (yes, we have permission to swim there):

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin jumps in the pool.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna does the same.

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin dunks himself under water.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna puts her face under water and blows bubbles.

"Daddy, watch this!" Colin does an underwater somersault.

"Daddy, watch this!" Hanna practices floating on her back.

If they weren't so cute and charming, it might get tiring.

One day as we were playing our little back-and-forth game, I began to reflect on my own relationship with my Father. There are times in my life when I desperately want Him to watch what I'm doing:

"Daddy, watch this!" I get up early to read my Bible.

"Daddy, watch this!" I travel across the globe to play with orphans.

"Daddy, watch this!" My wife and I decide to adopt one such orphan.

"Daddy, watch this!" I am attentive to my kids and do things that would make my wife happy.

Sadly, though, I think those events are fewer and more far between than I'd care to admit. Instead, I find myself more frequently in the "Daddy, don't watch!" camp:

"Daddy, don't watch!" I use my time in the morning to check Facebook and Twitter.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I'm short with my wife and ignore my kids.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I allow my mind or eyes to focus on things they shouldn't.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I get frustrated by fellow drivers and don't always hide it well.

"Daddy, don't watch!" I'm selfish with my money and stuff.

It's during those times that I wish my Father weren't so darn omniscient. Can't He turn a blind eye every once in a while? He can't. But the good news is, no matter how many of those "Daddy, don't watch!" moments He witnesses, He never gets tired of loving me. He never gets frustrated. He never wishes I weren't His. He is still nuts about me and would do - and has done - anything to be with me. That's grace.