There are, of course, many tender moments with them: seeing my son curled up in his Mommy's arms; Caroline sitting on my shoulders while she sings a song with words that only God knows; and my personal favorite, watching them both run up to greet me when I come home after a long day at the seminary. Affection is everywhere in our house, but looming in the hallway is the dreaded "time out" corner. Love is the fullness of being able to caress with one hand and firmly correct with the other; when this balance is not realized children will develop various sorts of behavior or personality problems. Achieving this balance has been hard for me as a parent, especially now that I have a more developed relationship with my daughter as she grows. I know it's her smile that melts my parental anger into a deep well of compassion when she does something wrong.
Can I image the face of God to be in my toddlers? Without a doubt, yes! From changing diapers to bath time, each moment is deeply rooted in the love between a parent and a child. Children, much like I imagine God to be, have no sense of our boundaries, no sense of the baggage and limitations that we take on in our lives. Whenever I hold my son up, he likes to rip off my eyeglasses and smack me on the face. I can imagine God doing this too, saying to me, "Chad, here I am! Look at me and pay attention!" God as the child reminds me to see what I hold in the center of my life and focus on the real needs at hand.
God, just like my children, has no boundaries to maintain. God is everywhere, sometimes smacking me on the face to get my attention whenever I stray. The image of God the child does not offend me in the least as I feel the connectedness of relationship--God needing us just as we need God. I would have never imagined that I would need a child in my life, but as I have experienced the awesome power of human birth I know that I need my children just as they need me. Those needs--both mine and theirs--are organic and take many shapes and colors, and I am keenly aware of how my behavior and attitude towards my children will affect their development and future lives. So too, my relationship with God, as it grows and matures, will reveal insights into the heart of God as well as my own.
