Hey friends,

It's the birthday of a number of our gang today! (Happy Birthday to Craig, Will and Zeb! Seems like a good day for it.)

And actually, I do want to talk to you about Zeb in my little blurb today. Well, kind of...

Let me explain.

Yesterday, Zeb and I went in the car after school to pick up Esmé, some 15-20 minutes away. Whilst I drove, Zeb sat and alternately sang along to the music and reeled off news about his day, possibly stopping for breath just once every five minutes. His daily digest included news of a game that he and his friends had invented at break time. Some of the rules were more than a tad complicated. Even with some interjections from me to ask for clarification on Rule E subset (iii), I must admit that I'm still none the wiser as to what the game was really all about. I just asked, “so you had fun then?”, and that seemed to fit the bill.

About 15 minutes into the journey, and after a moment of silence, Zeb spoke up saying, “I love spending time with you, Daddy”.

Oh, my heart was undone! Overwhelmed (but playing it cool), I turned and replied, “I really love spending time with you too, Zeb!”

OK. Why am I telling you soppy stories about me and my kids? Well, it's not because I want to show off my excellent parenting skills that produce wonderfully harmonious relationships within our family dynamic. Because, trust me, if you've not seen it first hand already, I'll just say it right now - I mess it up ALL THE TIME: impatient, angry, selfishly inattentive, judgemental...the lot. I'm not even telling you this to show off my son’s ability to share his love and affection, because I'm perfectly aware of the teen years to come!

No, I want to share this with you because of something I think I heard God say: something powerful and significant in the aftermath of this beautiful little exchange. Straight away, my mind was transported to a picture of me sat in a car seat in the back, but this time with my heavenly Father in the driver's seat. And I pictured me babbling on about my day - the good, the bad, the weirdly incomprehensible - but this time I pictured a God who got it ALL. Understood everything. A God with whom I can talk and talk and talk at and with, but also a God with whom I can just sit. And be. And then I sensed in my heart Him say, “I love spending time with you, Ben”. And for a second, I think I understood what that really means.

Today. I want you to know that you have a Father in Heaven who adores you. Who loves to hear what's on your mind - the good, the bad, the ugly; the whole lot. Who loves to just sit with you when you've got no words left to say. That’s at the heart of the Christian hope. Isn't it wonderful? So why not take some time out of your day even now. Share what's on your heart. Or just sit and sigh. Or pop out for a quick walk with Him. He loves spending time with you.

God bless,

Ben