No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15

I plopped onto the floor by the fireplace with my 9 month old as she tested her newly discovered vocal range and crawling skills. Sweet as she could possibly be in her new fall sweater and jeans, I took a moment to bask in how cute she was – one of those sappy mama moments. She began to crawl toward me and I reached out my hand.

“Want to hold hands?” I asked, expecting her to grab on and walk closer.

She leaned forward and vomited in my hand. Then she smiled, sat down, and crawled away.

That’s motherhood, isn’t it? The oscillation between “you’re impossibly cute” and “you’re impossibly gross” and “how could you?”

I laughed. I have learned to laugh at these moments.

These have become my intimate times with God.

Encountering God has morphed from season to season. Once upon a time, my time was spent with Him while I taught my dolls Bible Study as a child. As a teenager I enjoyed quiet moments with Him before school in my car. Eventually, I encountered Him in my college dorm late at night. Later, I met with Him between the chaotic moments of work and cleaning house and walking the dog and date nights with my husband.

Now, I meet Him in the crazy. Right smack in the middle of messy-crazy-land. And He is changing me and making me laugh like never before.

While this typical mama moment unfolded, I noticed a parallel. I pictured God reaching out His hand saying, “Want to hold hands?” Then, I saw myself leaning over and puking into His hand.

As I enjoy my daughter, I’m beginning to better understand God’s desire to connect and laugh with me as I learn and discover new things about creation and myself. Too often I go to Him only to spill out all my pains and troubles into a hand that has been extended to me in friendship all along. The Lord delights in catching my mess. He is so steadfast and quick to comfort and love and enjoy me.

He also longs to simply hold my hand in friendship while I’m feeling content, comfortable and happy.

Basic revelation and reminders like this make my heart glad. I pray I will walk in sweet friendship with Jesus today as I celebrate the contentment I feel in this moment.