He is adorable.
He is 4 or 5 years old.
He doesn’t speak English.
He loves any treat that I get him. But he isn’t so sure of spoonfuls of peanut butter I give him.
He sprints into my arms and my heart instantly melts.
I wish I could take him home!
It is the moment that he takes that leap of faith that I am going to catch him and the joy that overcomes me as I wrap him up in my arms, that I realize that our God gets that exact same feeling. The simple non-verbal statement of “I trust You” that we give him when we jump into his arms, completely believing that he will catch us even when it seems like a long way down. That joy that he gets when one of his beloved children reaches for his hand the first time or sprints back after having tried to do it on their own. I’ve been there. I have sprinted back. I have crawled back. I have even limped back. And each time he shows me the same unconditional love that he has shown me my entire life. He doesn’t love me less because of my mistakes. He loves me as I am.
Trusting God with everything is probably one of the hardest things to do but how much easier life is and would be if we would just let go of our worries and give him control. Trusting that he will honor the desires of my heart. Trusting that he will love and guide the people that I love dearly the same way he has done for me. Trusting that He’s got it. Jesus even says it in Matthew,
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these but if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat’ or ‘what shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom f God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” [Matthew 6:25-34]
I have also been reading an awesome book called Celebration of Discipline that says, “When we trust God we are free to rely enstirely upon him to provide what we need: “By prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Prayer is the means by which we moe the arm of God’ hence we can live in a spirit of carefree celebration.”
It is so much easier said that done but [gahhhh] when you actually trust the Lord with everything, life has so much more joy and things to celebrate. Who doesn’t like to celebrate?! So be filled by the simple things and give thanks to our Almighty Father and CELEBRATE! Celebrate the fact that the Son of God died for our redemption. Celebrate the fact that he loves us unconditionally no matter what! Celebrate the fact that our God wants to give us life abundantly. Be joyful. It may not come from a little 4-year-old boy like it did for me but find the simple things that give you that same JOY and HAPPINESS and you find Him there, too.
I haven’t reread this so thank you for bearing with my scatterbrained self :]
