I Can See You with My Eyes Closed

I recently sat at the table, reading my Bible and praying.
And as I was praying - as I sat there in the quiet with my eyes closed - I heard someone coming from the other side of the house. I could tell this person was in the hallway, now turning the corner, passing the dining room table and, yep, now in the kitchen coming toward me. (The sound difference from walking on carpet to the wood floor let me know the traveler's exact location.)
I found myself pausing my prayer briefly as I wondered who was now sharing space with me.
Did he have a question for me?
Did he need me to do something?
Should I open my eyes and engage him in conversation?
But instead of doing anything, I just sat with my eyes closed, and listened. And without saying or hearing a word, I knew exactly who was about to go past me. Because the sound of the wood floor told me the feet were bare, the rapid rate of the footsteps told me the individual was in a bit of a hurry, and the distinct echo of the noise allowed me to picture the person bouncing as he moved about.

From those three clues, I knew the trespasser was Matthew.

In my mind's eye, I could seem him bounding down the hall, through the dining room and into the kitchen where he saw me sitting at the table with my Bible open and my eyes closed. And he probably thought, Oops! Mom's praying. Better be quiet! Which may be why he didn't squeal at Mindy like he usually does. And which may be why as quickly as I heard his footsteps on the wood, they zipped past me and right back out to the dining room and on down the hallway to his room.
The thing is, for as much as I appreciated his consideration - he really didn't need to be so careful. Of course, he didn't know what a joy it was for me to sit there and listen, to pay attention for clues which would reveal to me which one of my offspring was lurking around, and to realize I could see my child without even opening my eyes.
Yeah. It was kind of a tender, intimate moment of knowing my son.
I fully enjoyed it.
And as I returned to prayer, I began by thanking God for blessing my life with that young man.