He Broke Through

I had a front row seat, even though I was in row seven. Our daughter, Alli, and her 10- month-old son, Desmond, were in the row in front of me… the perfect vantage point for me to witness what I could never have orchestrated.

As Southwest flight 55 filled… extra space disappeared. As the final passengers made their way to their seats, an imposing middle-aged man claimed the aisle seat beside Alli… with Des tucked away in his car seat by the window.

All of us settled in our seats and the flight from Denver to Detroit was underway.

I didn’t pay attention to what occupied the travel time of the aisle passenger; I was too preoccupied with my own row which contained our son, Andrew, and his two-year-old daughter, Davey. There was obvious interaction between rows as we passed babies back and forth. But as the trajectory of our airplane changed, and we began the gradual descent to a smooth landing, Desmond did what only Desmond could do…

He broke through His winsome personality, his unguarded exchanges, his unconfined hands reached into the space of the stoic aisle passenger. And as Des, now sitting on the lap of Alli in the middle seat, began to invade the theory of private passenger space, he assaulted the persona of this imposing figure. Yes, Des broke through.

Warmth mingled with joy as a child did what no adult was capable of. A 10-month-old led the way. Barriers dropped; and with each moment the vivid picture of Isaiah 11 came to life. “…a child shall lead them.” Literally.

In the providential design of a creative God a baby broke through; to every guarded and vacant soul. To every confined and distant spirit. An assault marshaled by an infant.

God disarmed every argument… by ushering in His human presence through a baby. God broke through… with a child.

The awesome power of God’s truth voluntarily confined in a human frame, a tiny human frame. God’s Son; His infant Son broke through.

Rigor and religion faded to black as a child led them… in vulnerability… to truth… to hope… to forgiveness… to sacrifice… to honor… to humility… to God.

Yes, a thousand times yes, God broke through.

“For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” ~ Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)

Mighty God as an infant… to break through.