I love the breakfast table. It has a totally different feel than the same room, nine hours later. At that time of day, I have the energy to keep M&M from crawling across the table to snatch Brown Sugar’s sausage. My coffee’s still hot, the cup’s still full. Watching the little people trickle downstairs (later and later as the mornings get chillier and chillier), hearing them wheel and deal over the last blueberry muffin, and whining about the math onslaught to come make me smile. We can stave off the world for an extra 45 minutes or so, reviewing our daily Proverb and doing Bible study. While dinner is where we recover from the day, breakfast is where we kiss it, “Hello!”

While we were manning our usual positions the other morning, eating our curds and whey—okay, it was more like grits, bacon, and eggs—we chatted about future happenings like college, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, vacations, afternoon playdates, upcoming birthdays, and dinner. Then Maven shared her plan for the future: “I want to go to sleep and wake up in heaven.”

All quiet on the Pearson front. Even Oscar, who shouldn’t be in the dining room, perked up his furry little ears.

I knew our passionate, fervent little one meant it. And not one day, like we all do, after we reached a particular age, after having a passel of children and grandchildren, after being president of this company, or achieving that goal here on earth. No, Maven meant she wanted to go to sleep that night and wake up gazing in Jesus’ face. Hearing these words more than pulled the heartstrings. It twisted and yanked at them. I don’t like thinking of dying, let alone losing a child, and churning away to see success in the temporal realm makes the eternal seem distant, out-of-focus.

But really, my babe in the faith had spoken such spiritual wisdom in that moment. It’s not that she was wishing away her own life here with us. She just has her eyes fixed on Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2) She reminded me that we should hunger not for breakfast, but for what’s to come, anticipating our forever in Christ. Jesus should mean more than anything the world can offer—more than family, more than money, more than achievement. Yes, more than life.

The prophet Isaiah certainly had the right idea. This child certainly led us.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2

Sign Up for my Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates.

SIGN UP!

You have Successfully Subscribed!