Filed under: Lydia
Here is a simple thought – I don’t know everything. My wife, Claire, will tell you that I sometimes act like I do but I am very well aware that I don’t. Yesterday, God worked through my 5 year old daughter to remind me of this very fact. First, I will tell you that God often uses my children to speak to my soul so I will often include them in my thoughts. Lydia is five and she went to kindergarten for the first time. She was anxious and excited. Thankfully, one of her best friends is in her class. I had the privilege of picking her up yesterday as she completed her first day. She could not stop talking about all the fun she had. Of course, the most excited responses involved the playground and the lunchroom but she also told me about friends she had made and things she had learned. It was incredible.
As soon as she finished, she began to ask if the little girl from her class could come over and play (her friend is also our neighbor). You would think that they had spent enough time together but apparently eight hours is not enough. I had some work to do so I agreed. After another two hours of playing with her friend, Lydia was exhausted. She could not play for another minute. I took her friend home and returned to my house to find Lydia dejected and feeling rejected. Some would call this pouting but it was just a little different. I asked her what was wrong and she just shook her head. I asked if she knew what was wrong and she said no. Being a loving father, I tried everything to make her feel better. Nothing worked. She just stood by my desk and looked like everything had been taken from her. I had no answer. I couldn’t ‘fix’ it. So, I did the only thing that I could do at this point. I invited her to come sit in my lap. She climbed into my lap and I wrapped my arms around her. She laid her head on my shoulder. After a few minutes, I thought she had fallen asleep. I whispered – ‘Are you okay?’ She raised her head, looked at me and whispered back – ’sometimes you just need to know that your daddy loves you.’ My heart broke.
I immediately thought of our relationship with God. How many times do we search for an answer? How many times do we seek a tangible sign? I think about what we read in Psalm 27 where Scripture tells us that in times of trouble – God will keep us safe, He will hide us in his shelter and lift us up and place us in a safe place that is firm. Sometimes, we just need to let God wrap us in His arms and soak in His love. Today, I am going to approach things a little different. I am not going to worry about having all the answers and I am going to just embrace the fact that God loves me. Wanna join me?
