It is more often than not that whenever I mention company’s-a-comin’, my children will beg to wait in the road for their arrival. It doesn’t matter that our guests won’t be here for another hour; it doesn’t matter if they know who’s coming or not; it doesn’t matter if they are only coming by to drop something off. They just love it when people come over. So, the older three children will sit on the front porch rockers, play in yard, and stand at the end of our long street during the long wait for our company. Oh, and they will poke their heads in the door every ten minutes and ask why it’s taking so long.

From our driveway, the kids can see the end of the road, and so they know when a car is approaching while it is still about 30-45 seconds away. So before they can be seen by company, the kids will run inside the house, yelling, “They’re here! They’re here!” However, here’s the best part. When we go out to greet our company, they act like this is all no big deal. They’d be mortified if I ever explained aloud that they waited an hour outside. So I won’t mention it.

Upon some reflecting on my current steps heavenward, I was concluding—prematurely—that my lack of zeal was just like my children’s nonchalant mannerisms: I was not lacking zeal, just lacking in showing my zeal. But I was wrong. Explaining away a dry heart will not cure the problem. It is not that I don’t show my love for Christ, but rather, that I don’t love him enough. And so, I pray with the hymn writer:

More love to Thee, O Christ, more love to Thee!
Hear Thou the prayer I make on bended knee.
This is my earnest plea: More love, O Christ, to Thee;
More love to Thee, more love to Thee!

And oh, next time you’re over, you might ask the children why it looks as if they’ve been playing outside all day…