Counting is such a critical skill to our development as human beings, we can sometimes forget how it starts. In early childhood, we begin with understanding that numbers even exist and how to use counting items as a way to associate conceptual items to physical items. Such as correlating a blue circle on a page with a blue ball in the hand. Even just counting to ten is a huge milestone for children. It shows that they're able to understand a sequence, the idea of multiple items, and eventually, the concept of comparative quantification. The foundational understanding of the world around us literally begins with 1, 2, 3. So why does it surprise us that God asks us to learn about Him the same way?

Our schedule, according to the Bible, starts with a time-signature of seven. Six days to work, one to rest. This is a routine that gives our lives the structure we need in order to thrive. God knew that our bodies would need this routine when He created us. Likewise, He knew that we would need a way to keep track of the months, so He gave us the moon cycle. And in that cycle, we can use our counting skills to make sure we arrive at our appointments with Him throughout the year. Obviously, one of those appointments is Passover (Pesach) - which we just celebrated. But the day after Passover begins a new counting ritual that many people forget about. 

Traditionally, every single day of this counting comes with a prayer: "Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer. Today is ____ days, which is ____ weeks and ____ days of the omer."

It may seem juvenile, but this act of counting is its own method of learning. By engaging in pattern recognition, we better understand the world around us. God knew that it would be easy for us to forget our lessons of sanctification, redemption, and deliverance in the few short weeks between Passover and Shavuot. Much like the Israelites and the lesson of the golden calf, we can set up other idols in God's place when we regress to an attitude of ungratefulness and entitlement. So, in order to keep our minds on the provision of God and His goodness, He ordained a routine, a schedule, for us. If your daily prayers included the numbering of your days, like Scripture encourages us to do, then wouldn't you be a little more mindful, a little more grateful for each one?

Thankfully, we're only commanded to count this set of seven sevens plus one as a part of our appointed times with Adonai. In its own way, the counting of the omer is an advent calendar pointing towards the moment when God inhabits this earth and communes with Creation. Traditionally, we use the counting of the omer as an advent towards the giving of the Law, or the moment God's glory descended upon Mount Sinai and issued forth the Ten Words. In New Covenant living, we rejoice in Shavuot as the day that the Ruach was poured out on Earth. Each day that we count, we build our anticipation for the goal: to meet the God of the Universe. 

So, during this time of counting, let's have the faith of a child. 

And just like we celebrate the milestones of our children learning to count to three, then to ten, and then to a hundred, God rejoices over us as we learn to count according to His rhythms. As you count your omer, take a moment to meditate that celebratory, paternal love that our Heavenly Father has towards us. And when we get to day fifty, we can all celebrate together that we have accomplished our goal: to please our Father, the Great I AM, who has taken us out of Egypt and brought us to the Promised Land.