Little Emerald, at 8 weeks, knows nothing of speech. She hasn’t even begun cooing, though she’s hinted it’s just around the corner. Nine month old Autumn, however, said her first word yesterday (“mama”).

The development of a child’s speech is a marvel. By the time she’s 2½, she can handle a back-and-forth with adults, the conversations minimal or maximal depending on the personality of the child.

My 5 oldest grandchildren (ages 4, 3, 2, 2, 2) can all hold their own with the rest of us. When they’re at home in Florida and England, it’s those conversations I miss the most. Once in a while I’ll get to have phone chit-chats with them, though those can’t compare with face-to-face, because poor connections sometimes muddle their words.

Often those conversations are dominated by my repeated question, “What did you say?” and of course every encounter has to end with a goodbye. After that, they’re all far away again.

Sometimes I fantasize about a certain conversation, an unusual one, that I’m going to have with Jesus Christ when I see him. Right now our communication tends to be one-sided, mostly mine, and although I know he hears me and speaks back through Scripture, our connection can’t compare to how it will be when we’re face-to-face. These days I’m sometimes confused and often ask him, “What did you say?”

But what will it feel like to look into the loving face of Jesus, to study his expression as he talks to me, and to hear him perfectly? I would imagine the inner satisfaction will be very deep, a sort of grand finale’ to years of longing. Being up close and personal with him will be a thrill unlike any I’ve known on earth.

But today I was wondering what our first face-to-face conversation might feel like to him. Is he looking forward to it, too?

I believe when Christians pass through physical death, waiting on the other side is an immediate connection with Jesus Christ, one-on-one. When it’s my turn and I arrive to him, maybe he’ll feel a sense of satisfaction in witnessing my awe over him, much like parents delight in watching a child receive something she’s always wanted.

Jesus might also take pleasure in knowing he has followed through, giving what he promised he would. Faith will have become sight for me, and he will have done what he said he was going to do. Watching me thoroughly “get that” might bring a blessing to him.

In any case, I’m eagerly anticipating that face-time, and when it happens, I sure hope I don’t mess it up by talking too much.

“So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6,8)