Devo - Resting in Christ
Matthew
11:28 says, “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you
rest.”
I woke up one morning to a child’s
scream. My husband who was already up, ran into the bedroom our two older
girls share, in time to see my middle child, Lanie, vomit all over herself and
bed. My eldest daughter, Karis, who was right next to her in the bed went
running grabbing all her possessions to avoid the mess, while Lanie was crying
hysterically because she was all yucky.
This
scene is not unfamiliar to many of you. We all experience our kids being
sick at times. And I have a secret. I must confess that
sometimes I actually enjoyed my kids being sick.
I
have three active girls. And I imagine that perhaps like your child or
children, they were always on the go. Once they learn how to crawl, they
are out exploring the surroundings and getting into things. I sit down to
cuddle with them and they give the 2 second superficial cuddle and off they go
again, with a seemingly endless supply of energy and excitement.
And
then they get sick. And suddenly mommy’s lap is no longer confining and
restricting, it is their comfort, their refuge. I cherish those moments
when my child will just rest in my arms for hours, even if she does cry if I
need to separate for even the tiniest of seconds. What a wonderful bonding
moment.
But
I think, why. Why child does it take you to be sick, hurting, or in pain
to rest like that in my arms? Don’t you realize that I am here for this
at all times? And then I think about my God. Do you ever wonder if
maybe God allows hurt in our lives so that we run to rest in his arms like
that? Since I am too busy to just cuddle up in my heavenly father’s arms
when life is traveling by at the speed of light, maybe the pains come at just
the right time to remind me of where I need to run. How much better
would it be for us to learn from our children and how we feel with them
spending that time with us and put that into practice with our Father
God. I pray that I will not wait for hurt in my life to run and
rest in his arms. But even if I do, it is so comforting to know He is always
there with his arms open for us to come and find rest within.
- Ally
