Have you ever seen an angel smile?

My precious Hannah is now 6 days old, and exhaustion seems to be the theme around the house right now, other than the preschooler and toddler who just keep going and going. During the night, I feel like I just hit a good REM sleep when the baby starts to stir, smack her lips, and then cry to be fed, yet again. But then last night, there was a saving grace. 

It was around 3am when Hannah awoke again, crying to be put back on the breast. I grumbled as I rolled over in bed, rubbed my swollen eyes, and got up to appease her. She nursed for what seemed like an eternity, as I struggled to just keep my head up. When she finally came off the breast, she rolled her head back into my arms with such peace and satisfaction in her face that it overwhelmed me. And then, in the wee hours of the morning, with just enough light to see her face, my sweet little angel smiled. It wasn't just a little smirk or gas smile, but a full on smile, with almost a little giggle to go with it. And not just once. She smiled, giggled, rested, and then smiled again, as if some sweet conversation was blessing her ears and she just couldn't contain it. And I just sat there marveling, wondering Who was talking to my sweet little angel as I cradled her there. 

Do you ever wonder at what point we stop hearing the voice of our Creator? I mean really hearing His voice? Scripture says that He created our inmost being; that He knit us together in our mother's womb. It was His doing. He hand-crafted every single one of us, tailoring every aspect of us to carry out the purpose for which He was creating us to begin with. Do you ever wonder what the ears of babies really hear, as their Creator is shaping them? Is He just talking to them, comforting them, calming and loving them the whole time?

I heard a story once of a toddler who asked her mommy and daddy if she could talk to her newborn sister alone for a few minutes. The parents reluctantly agreed, knowing that they could listen to everything that was happening in the room on their baby monitor. This precious toddler walked into the baby's room and closed the door gently, as the parents leaned in closer on the baby monitor, straining to listen. They could hear their precious toddler walk across the room, approaching the crib where her new sister was sleeping, and then they heard these words: "Remind me what His voice sounds like. I've almost forgotten."

The tears running down my cheeks now remind me that I still have lots of hormones on board, but then again, the words from the lips of babes convict my heart and draw me to my knees. There are certainly days when I have forgotten altogether how precious is the voice of my Creator. I forget to cry out until I have gone too far and remember my own inadequacies. I run out of time to listen for His response, but simply rattle off a list of my requests. How patient and kind is our God. 

But this morning, my little angel smiled, and I knew that the Almighty had spoken something so sweet and so precious to this tiny little treasure that all I could do was praise His Name. 

Grace and peace y'all, as we tune our ears to the sweet musings of our Lord.