Having three small children means our household runs on rhythms. We don’t have a perfect formula for keeping our home and kids in order, and we’re continually learning as our family grows. But a few things remain mostly intact. Mealtimes, naps, school, library trips, movie nights—those things are pretty well set in stone. Even the questions we ask around the dinner table are often the same.
Most evenings during dinner, I try to get the conversation going. By the time I sit down, everyone usually has their water, napkins, plates, and sometimes even already asking for seconds. After we pray and get everyone settled, I usually ask, “What was everyone’s favorite part of the day?”
My two boys’ answers vary from day to day. Their response often depends on what they ate, what they did five minutes ago, or sometimes even something that happened the day before. Their answers usually lead to more questions and plenty of laughter.
But my three-year-old daughter always gives the same answer.
Without hesitation, she says, “Dada.”
She’s been giving that answer ever since she could talk. There’s no convincing her otherwise and no prompting her toward a different response depending on the day’s activities. She never budges.
That answer has caused me to reflect on my own heart.
What would my answer be?
Does it change depending on my circumstances? How I’m feeling? What other people think about me—or what I think they think about me? Whether life is going well? Whether I’m succeeding as a parent, spouse, or friend? Whether I feel like I’m doing enough?
When I consider those questions, I’m forced to examine my heart.
Did I begin my day seeking the Lord? Did I ask Him for wisdom? Did I trust Him and surrender control? Is He the One I turn to with every doubt, fear, and question? Do I thank Him for both the big and small things? Do I love Him more than anything else?
What strikes me most is that it doesn’t matter whether my husband has spent all day with my daughter or only a few minutes before bedtime. It doesn’t matter whether he’s played with her, corrected her, or disciplined her. She still chooses him over everything else.
Not because he gives her everything she wants. Not because every moment together is fun. Not even because she fully understands how much he loves her.
She simply delights in him.
John 17:3 tells us, “This is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
Eternal life is not merely living forever. It is knowing God—walking with Him, enjoying Him, and finding our deepest satisfaction in Him. The greatest gift of the gospel is not simply forgiveness or a future home in heaven. It is God Himself.
Like a child who runs to a loving father, we were created to delight in His presence. The psalmist writes, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). God’s invitation is not merely to obey Him from a distance but to know Him personally and enjoy fellowship with Him.
The more I watch my daughter light up when she sees her dad, the more I am reminded of what my own heart was created for.
To delight in my Heavenly Father.
To rest in His love.
To trust His care.
To enjoy His presence.
To know Him.
My husband is an imperfect father, yet my daughter still loves being with him. How much more should our hearts delight in the perfect Father who knows us completely, loves us unconditionally, and gave His own Son so that we could be brought near to Him?
Despite our weakness, He remains faithful. Despite our failures, He remains loving. Despite our wandering, He continues to invite us back into His presence.
My daughter’s answer never changes.
“Dada.”
What if our hearts became so captivated by the goodness of God that, when asked what our favorite part of the day was, our answer was simply this:
Being with Him.
Raina Songer
Raina is a member of our Christ’s Church family and is married to Chip, Creative Director and Worship Minister at Christ’s Church. She loves spending time with her family and making things with her hands – cooking, drawing, sewing, repurposing, etc. Raina is pictured here with Chip and their three children, Theodore, Edison, and Winifred.
