Marielana giggles full bubbling joy as her father, Marvin, sets her back on the ground. she circles carefully waiting for the next opportune moment to attack. She dives in only to be swept up in the strong arms of her father. She trusts him completely and fully and he swings her around and around. Marielena has her head thrown back and her curls are bouncing carelessly. Her smile is full of the knowledge that no harm will come to her because she is in her father's arms. Without delay she is set back on solid ground and she runs to a small ledge that must seem as a mountain to a 3 year old. Positioning both feet, she beckons Marvin closer. Not one second after he arrives, she bends both legs and prepares to jump. Then fear sets in. She looks down and suddenly realizes the risk. She could fall. She could get hurt. Could, but she sees the love in daddy's eyes and she knows that she is safe. No harm will come to her because she is leaping into the arms of her father.
Does this sound familiar? Do you find such joy in the arms of your heavenly Father? Sudden laughter spilling out of pure joy should not be unusual. The Bible commends child like faith; but what does this mean? Sometimes it means that we are standing on a ledge, scared. Then we jump anyway because we know that Daddy is there to catch us. Other times it means that we run into the arms of God. We don't run because we need anything. We don't run because we're scared. We run because we love to feel our Father's strong arms as they spin us around and around. We run because we love God and there is so much joy in knowing that he loves us and takes joy in us.
