Mimicry

I do not have a green thumb.  I have a green cuticle at best.  But I try.  Thomas tries with me.  When it is time to water the garden, Thomas has to get his own little watering can.  He knows where it is kept, and either Tiff or I have to fill it so he can water on his own.  He has his own spade when we plant (and if he can steal it one of ours as well).  He wants to be close when we pull veggies off, and gets mad if he can't help bring in the (meager) harvest.
Thomas should grow up with more of an ability to get more out of the ground than I have since he is learning about it earlier.  And for me it is an hobby, for him (for now at least) it is a love.  It is not a should, it is a want.  He does not love gardening for the love of gardening, he loves it for the love of me.  He wants to be close to me, doing what I do, so he loves the work.  Now how and why my son loves me that dearly, I can not say.  Even my wife and my mom don't love me that much.  And I do not think that his love will remain steadfast as he grows.  But I will continue to work with him so that I continue to love him more and more even if/when his love wanes.
In faith we should do what God does out of love.  We should do it for a want not a need.  Most of the time we go through the workings of faith and deeds out of a requirement.  We know we should pray.  We know we should give mercy.  We know God wants us to do whatever it is we really don't want to do.  But love is a much better reason.  First we do it out of love of God.  We go where God is to be close.  We do not go out of love for the prayer, the mercy or whatever.  We are madly in love with God and just to be close to the holy fills us with joy and pride.  Eventually, hopefully, we love the prayer, the mercy, and the others because we have mimicked the love we saw in God so much that it has grown in us.
But the good news is that even if our love in God cools or fades a bit, God comes to us.  Filling the void not with pain or coldness, but with love and grace.  I know I am not the greatest dad, but hopefully I learn from a wonderful Father.