When I was growing up, I would greet my Dad with such eagerness when He came home from work. I would run full speed into his arms. I have fond memories of sprinting across our yard in my childhood home just to collapse into him. We also adapted this nightly routine when it was time for me to go to bed that my older brothers and my father would sit on the opposite side of the room and again I would run my toddler legs to my best ability and soar into their arms. Each time I would do this with my father he would ask me “Where’s the safest place in the world?” And he taught me well that my answer is “In Daddy’s arms!”
As I grew older, the nightly routine of soaring into his arms stopped but even into my high school and college years, whenever I had my arms wrapped around him, he would still ask me where the safest place in the world was. “In my Father’s arms.” As I grew up and I fell in love with my Savior and came to follow God with all of my heart, I realized this question had a double meaning. My earthly father wanted me to know that he was a safe place for me and that he would do anything in his power and ability to protect me, but it also gave me the perspective that the real safest place in the world is in my Heavenly Father’s arms.
I’ve spent a LOT of time there this month.
This month has been considered a “slower” month in terms of ministry, each day never sure if we have anything scheduled. We have had some construction days, some epic prayer walks, some children’s ministry at the local schools, some house visits, but I would say we spend a majority of the time on campus with not a whole lot to do.
There are two things we can do when encountering something like that: sit in frustration OR choose to have an open mind about it and step into the question “What if God wants to minister to me?” What if all this extra down time is designed not for me to be frustrated that I’m not doing “work” but for me to have time to sit and melt into my Father’s arms? For our entire squad, this month has been SO enriching and such a blessing to grow in our relationship with the Lord, in spiritual disciplines, in prayer, and in community.
What does that look like for me? It’s hearing my Abba’s voice during the day say “Come to Me” and quickly making my way up to what we call the “treehouse” and climbing into my hammock, almost like climbing into His lap. I’ve learned to put down my journals, devotional books, guides to listening prayer or any new New York Times Bestseller book from the “greatest theologian of our generation.” Very quickly I found I was trying to get a formula to get closer to God. I wanted the right things to read and do every day so that I become a “super Christian.” It became works based faith and my Heavenly Father just smiled down at me and said,
“My sweet daughter, just come to Me. As you are. You are just hanging out with your Dad.”
So I just swing in my hammock. I pretend the fabric that envelopes me are His arms just holding me. I spend time in silence, listening to His voice and asking Him questions that I never gave Him the chance to answer. We’re talking! I circle His promises in the Bible and write my prayers and love letters in my journal. I color and paint beautiful drawings that I pretend are crafts from Sunday school that I am going to bring home and He is going to hang them on the fridge for months. I get on my knees and pray for my family and the battles that they are facing. Ohhhh and I sing. I sing alllllll day long. I sing of His overwhelming love for me and all the good that He is doing. I sing of the hard battles I face and those my loved ones are facing. I keep my arms and palms wide open to the sky in surrender. And I run, so fast, so far, so deep into my Father’s arms- the safest place in the world.
Every single day He has somethings new to teach me and tell me inside this hammock. Just this week He has whispered truths and new lessons in my ears while I lie in His arms.
Sunday- When I see others blessed with gifts and sweet things, to run into His arms so that I am not blinded to all the gifts He has already given me and the more to come. He is the Gift Giver and I am the gift receiver!
Monday- Sometimes we will have to walk through some tough things and not get what we want, but because I don’t get those things, I run into His arms and get more intimacy! He asked me if I didn’t have all of my desires that I laid out before Him, would He still be enough? A resounding YES echoed from the treehouse.
Tuesday- He wants me to simply come to Him; not with an agenda, but simply to His arms with an open mind and heart asking “what do you have for me today Abba?”
Wednesday- TODAY! WHO KNOWS BUT I’M EXCITED!
Today I currently sit in my hammock sick. Everyone else finally got scheduled ministry to go to day care with kids and I have to stay back and rest. I see that I have two options: sit in frustration or sit in my Father’s arms. When people hear my cough and see my aches and pains they see a curse, but I find a blessing; for it means more time with my Papa’s lap, wrapped around in His love.
Love so abundantly, every present and all encompassing.
So friends, let me ask you, where is the safest place in the world?
