How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me.  – Psalm 139:17-18

Your mom read that it’s important to have some time away from your baby before going back to work, kind of like practice separation. It’s good. It’s healthy. So a few nights ago we went to a Ben Rector concert with some friends.

And yet, a few minutes into the concert we were on your mom’s phone, scrolling through our favorite pictures of you. We laughed at your funny faces and talked about all the wonderful things you do (which to an outsider wouldn’t appear to be much since you’re still less than three months old). Even though we were out for a fun night with friends, we couldn’t help but think about you. We missed you!

Being a parent has changed my understanding of God’s heart toward his children. Becoming a dad has meant stepping first hand into one of the most prevalent Biblical metaphors—God is like a parent, we’re like his kids.

Through my limited, human, picture-centric understanding, I keep imagining God captivated by pictures of his people, that parent-kind-of-love look on his face. He’s in a meeting with the archangels, but he keeps interrupting the agenda to talk about his kids. “Did you see what Chris did yesterday? Haha, that kid! I just love him.”

Two of the most fundamental human needs are for acceptance and approval. Without these essentials it is hard—maybe impossible—to grow up to be a healthy, functioning adult. Daughter, I pray you may find genuine acceptance and nourishing approval, not just from the leaky faucets of people like your mom and I, but first and foremost from the Fount, the Wellspring, the Father whose thoughts for you outnumber the grains of sand.