This blog will be short.
It’ll be simple.
But…it’s true. And it’s something I’ve been reminded of.
This is part three of who-knows how many blogs in my “home” series. I’m not really sure why I even started it…but it’s kinda fun for me to come back to it every once in a while with a new idea.
I can’t tell you how many children come to the center here. We’ve got our regulars who come multiple times a week, our sunday-only’s, our random new ones. These kids ages range from one or two to 15 or older. We spend time with them…loving them in the only way we can – by letting them be kids and by letting them know that they’re loved. Sometimes that looks like playing futbol on a slippery driveway for hours, sometimes it looks like allowing little girls to stick a hundred little flowers (with bugs, of course) into your hair. Sometimes it means playing with them or singing with them and making an idiot out of yourself. Sometimes it’s just holding them. Sitting with them. Listening even though you don’t understand everything they’re saying.
And sometimes, it means catching them when they fall.
Or picking them up if no one’s there to catch them.
There’ve been a few times this month that I’ve been able to clean their little scrapes they get from playing. A few times I’ve been able to clean wounds that are infected or are on the verge of getting infected.
And while I love being able to do all that, the joy really fills my heart when I can keep the kids from falling. When I can catch them in my arms before they hit the ground.
It’s in the moments that they reach out to me with their little arms and trust that I will be there to catch them – and they jump – and my arms become a safety net around them.
God is my safety net. He’s got the arms I can trust will catch me when I fall. It’s not like He doesn’t know when I might fall, or when I might jump in faith – He already knows, and His arms are waiting. Because of that, I don’t have to be afraid when I step out into the unknown – because God is there.
I have this same hope for these children here.
For them and for their families.
For the friends I’ve made.
For my friends back home.
I want them to fall into loving arms without the worry of hitting the ground. There’s something really freeing in jumping off something – surrendering the safe and solid ground beneath your feet – and plunging into the unknown. And if you’ve made God your safety net, your solid ground, your gravity – there is no fear left, and you can just close your eyes and jump.
I just wanted to remind you of this today: He’s really great at catching us.
