snapshots
Wednesday, Nov. 03, 2004 || My Father's lap

Nicole feels The current mood of nacwolin at www.imood.com

I was serving in our church nursery a few Sundays ago, and the coordinator beckoned me over to the toddler area. �David�s sleepy � do you mind holding him?�

Of course I didn�t! David, a gorgeous, cherub-faced one-year-old was leaning his head on one of the foot rests, eyes drooping. �Do you want me to hold you,� I said, and he immediately turned and lifted his pudgy arms.

I scooped him up and carried him over to a rocker, and we rocked and rocked. He dozed on and off, perhaps never really falling into a deep sleep, but he snuggled with me nonetheless, never once lifting his head, content to be held.

When his parents came to pick him up, they wore looks of surprise. �He never falls asleep like that!� they said.

Later, Rob and I saw David and his dad at a restaurant. David was in much the same position with his dad, little head tucked into his father's neck, eyes drooping. By that time, his parents had come to the conclusion that little David wasn�t feeling well.

I can remember those times with my kids as well. As they grew older, the cuddly times became limited to the �I don�t feel so good� times.

Isn�t that what I often do with my heavenly Father?

He�s waiting for me to come and crawl into his lap every day and allow myself to be cuddled, if you will � the biblical term for this would be �abiding� � but what do I do?

Like a toddler discovering the freedom to run, I proclaim:

�I too big for that!�

�Put me down! Put me down!�

�I go play now!�

And then, without warning, the fevers, tummy aches, and runny noses of life hit. And what�s the first thing I want to do?

�Hold me!!�

Is that the only time I crawl into my Father�s lap?

Sadly, that is often the case.

And that, in a nutshell � one I don�t much like, I might add � is pride.

I�ve read the verse in 1 Peter 5:7 time and time again: �Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you� (NIV). In the NLT it says, �Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.�

But check out what the verse just before that says (1 Peter 5:6): �Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.�

Isn�t it interesting that just before we are assured that God cares about our worries and fears, and that we can give them all to Him, we are told to humble ourselves?

To climb up into His lap, daily, habitually, no matter how I am feeling, means putting �me� aside. Forgetting my independence and self-reliance for just a while and remembering that I have a Father who wants to hold me!

You know, as sweet as it is to cuddle our feverish children, soothing and comforting them, how much sweeter when they climb into our laps, just because they want to be close to us.

I guarantee you, God feels the same way.

Will you climb into your Father�s lap today?



~ ~ ~

test - Saturday, Oct. 01, 2016
Just a reminder - Friday, Aug. 10, 2007
Rockin' Girl Blogger - Wednesday, Jul. 18, 2007
A good end - Friday, Jun. 01, 2007
Moving on? Yes and no. - Monday, May. 07, 2007

All entries (c) Nacwolin 2001-2006. These are my words. Use your own, m'kay?

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