It was the particular sound of one vehicle that got a little girl’s ears perked up when she lived in the apartments with her Mommy and Daddy. “Daddy’s home!” Pig tails flying and bouncing as she runs toward the front door waiting for the most handsome man in a Navy uniform to walk in the door and scoop up his little girl. The smell of diesel, nicotine, and paperwork while scratching your cheeks on medals on his chest. These warm memories in my mind.

In my almost 40 years of experience I know that nothing can replace a Father. I watch my littles adore their Daddy. If he would eat cow pies so would they. If he used a wire brush to brush his teeth they would beg for one too. Every part of their day is spent trying to be just like him and gain his favor or approval. The boys worship the ground he walks on and the girls all want to be thought beautiful by him.

For little girls growing up there is such an awkward moment that comes between Daddy and her. You’re not quite sure when it happened but suddenly you are too big for Daddy to pick you up and put you on his lap. It’s hard…a little like being rejected. Too young and innocent to understand the universal rules of propriety between men and women…for it is women you have become even though you don’t feel like one.

It is in this moment that a Daddy’s roles transitions. He is the Captain of the vessel given to him by the Maker. He steers her in the direction she needs to go. He keeps her away from troubled ports, guides her through uncertain waters, teaches her how to go through storms, until one day the Captain steers the vessel into a safe harbor.

And the change of command ceremony is held… There are flowers and streamers and champagne as the Captain hands over the helm to the new Captain. And the vessel sails away into the sunset while the former Captain remains at port.

In all the excitement of the moment the vessel is surprised by some choppy moments. Times of grief and sadness in the first year that can’t be understood; shouldn’t every ship with a new Captain be nothing but happy? And, of course, she is happy but sometimes she is very sad and she can never really understand that it is because she misses the first Captain.

This first Captain does something for his vessel that the second Captain can never do. The original Captain has spent his life preparing the vessel for what is to come. He has at times pulled her up into the shipyard to strengthen her sides from inside and out. He made sure the rudders that steer the ship are strong and the anchor is strong enough to do its duty. He has equipped it with radar and sonar to be wise to her surroundings. He has shaped her resolve.

And there are many times in her life when the ship passes by that safe harbor where her first Captain lives… She wants the Captain to be impressed. She wants him to know how much she loves him and thanks him for making her seaworthy. So she unfurls all her flags, puts all hands on deck, polishes the fighting top and serenely sails by hoping the Captain will answer with a friendly report and continue to encourage her to sail well.

This is the power of a Captain… the power of a Daddy… to know that she has his blessing. His blessing gives her the power to sail into harm’s way and have no fear.

The mild explosion came about four o’clock in the morning. Little feet on the floor making a run for the bathroom while calling for Mommy. Mommy… she can fix anything. Wouldn’t it be nice if I really could. Like the little girl in the bathroom trying to figure out whether she should sit on the toilet or lean over it… Mom arranges it… sits her down… hands her the garbage can. How many times have I done this now?

Over the years there have been all kinds of explosions in this house; tempers, sickness, pressure cookers… Yesterday, however, I witnessed an explosion that I never thought of before. An explosion of love…

Goldilocks asleep in her bed with these three little boy bears standing over her. They felt a little lost and helpless watching her feverishly sleeping off the bug. And I herded them out of the room and we went to make some lunch. While chopping onions and putting them in the boiling chicken broth with some dill and rice those three bears suddenly had an idea.

They left the room and came back with a get well card from all of them and a gift. All of which they placed on a lunch tray accented with flowers from the yard for the moment she would wake up.Those three bears kept asking me questions… how long will she be sick? will she be well when she wakes up from her nap? will she be hungry? I wish it was me that was sick instead of her…. and I smiled as I watched this…an explosion of love and appreciation for a dearly loved sister.

I wanted you to know Goldilocks… in a few years I want you to be able to read about your brothers love for you…

If I had to pick any one of Jane Austen’s characters to assess my real personality I would have to be honest. As much as I want to think I am Elinor; I’m not. Truth be told, I believe I am Mary. For instance, ever since I watched (yes watched) Pride and Prejudice I simply had to find out who Fordyce was and why Mary thought he was so important. Currently, I am in the process of downloading his sermons for women. My  curiosity is piqued to see what this Scottish Presbyterian minister has to say.

So here I sit with my books of theology… It doesn’t seem like there are many women willing to forge the waters of  theology and I admit that I’ve only been dabbling in the shallows. Although- this must be very daring- since the rest of most of my friends are still on the bank thinking the waters look murky at best.

Which brings me to what I’ve been thinking about a great deal. Paedocommunion… if that word is too long for you I will make it simpler… giving communion to baptized children. Now, if you are somewhat Presbyterian (note the somewhat there) then your children are baptized as infants. (Nope, sorry. Not going to debate that one here. I’m only assuming that you are somewhat Presbyterian like me. All those who were indignant at those last sentences won’t care a hill of beans about what I have to say next because they’re stuck at infant baptism. Once you get through paedobaptism than you can move on to the rest of this article. Without further ado…

It seems there a tons of over complicated articles in defense of or against paedocommunion completely. There is the “examine yourself” argument against infant communion which is rather poor at best when read in context. Anyone can see what Paul is saying about communion has to do with observance of why we celebrate it. Not with whether or not you are actually “worthy” because what one of us is. For a little bit I was almost convinced that this was a good argument until I woke up from the fog of cloudy thinking being promoted and once again read that passage for myself.

Here are a few more thoughts:

• Christian households teach their children about Christ. What is communion then? We are to do it to remember Christ. It seems that this would be a first stepping stone for a child.
• Those against paedocommunion say that the New Testament doesn’t instruct us to give it to children, after all what if they  are not believers.  Well, Poor Jesus…he really “messed up” when he handed it to Judas Iscariot; who he called a devil. Oh wait…Jesus is God. HE DOESN’T MAKE MISTAKES.
• How do we know women were allowed to partake of communion since the New Testament doesn’t say that?If we went by the idea that the New Testament doesn’t express that then we would have to concede that only male disciples were allowed communion since Jesus only served it to the twelve.
• Where does the idea originate than that women can partake of the Lord’s Supper come from? The Old Testament. Women were present at the Passover feast and oh ya, so were children. 
• “They need to “understand” what they are participating in.” Hmm! Can we honestly say to this day that we have a perfected understanding of the Lord’s Supper or like a child are we taking it in faith with what understanding that has been granted to us.

Let scripture define scripture. The Old Covenant helps define and give understanding to the New Covenant. Stop researching church history to see what they did and let God’s word speak alone. Sola Scriptura… remember?