"I Wanna Play with You."

"I wanna play with you."

"Ellie, now, I have to say 'Bye!' to you."
"Where are you going?"
"I am going back to My home in Canada."
"How about Halmuny (grandmother)?"
"She will stay here and play with you."
And then, Ellie pouted her rosy lips with glistening eyes, and said,
"I wanna play with you."
This is a conversation between my two year old granddaughter and myself.

I arrived Ann Arbor , Michigan, at Sunday midnight, where Brian, our oldest son, lives.
Since we don,t see our grandchildren often enough, the first encounter with them in the morning would be often wry and shy. Ellie is age two and at a time when she is very careful to relate with unfamiliar faces. So I took an extra measure in my behaviour so that I might be able to earn her confidence little by little.

Easter Monday in Ann Arbor was cloudy and wet. Yet, I had a bright day playing with my princess. She loves to be called, "My Princess." Getting ready to leave on Tuesday morning, I told her that I had to say, goodbye to her. But when she said that she wanted to play with me as opposed to Hester, her grandmother, who would stay there for a while, I felt that my heart was overwhelmed. Tears were brimming in my eyes. I can still conjecture her pouting lips. Her soft voice still I can hear, "I wanna play with you."

It was neither a famous poet's poignant verse, nor a mighty king's victory over his enemy, which made my eyes overflow with tears. But it was only a little girl quivering voice of her choice of me. Upon hearing what Ellie had to say, I litterally fell on my knees before her and held her soft hands with exhilaration and delayed my departure at least for over 15 minutes.

If I, a human grandfather, was moved so much by what my granddaughter was saying, how much more God, our heaven Father, would be so when we pray? Surely, He would do all our asking, if only we ask Him, but no one else. Jesus said, John 16:23-24 (NIV)
"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

April 29, 2011
James