Soak it Up

We drove to St. Joseph, Michigan to vist our son's family. John is a pastor in a church there and so it is a pleasure for us to go for a Sunday, listen to him preach, eat a delicious meal together, visit awhile and then head back home. John and Kim have five children. Their eldest is nearly sixteen and the youngest is four. While there today, John and Kim talked about how much they enjoy that little one. Kim noted that when a child is young, they are consistently happy. They don't get hung up on the things from which the older ones dangle. She was quick to point out that she enjoys her big kids as well but that there is a specialness in sharing life with a preschooler. Katie is the kind of preschooler that creeps up to one unannounced and suddenly is in your lap soaking up the love. Quietness is one of her personality traits. Once on our laps, she just looks up at us with a deep love that radiates from her crystal blue eyes. She doesn't ask for anything special. She doesn't have to be entertained and doesn't interupt our conversation. She is content just to be there.
During John's sermon this morning, he read from Mathew where Jesus says that unless we become as little children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God. I think I learned a bit about what He meant by the way Katie responds to the people she knows love her. Katie isn't shy about wanting to sponge up our love. She came to me several times today. She just sided up next to me and somehow with out too much effort, she was as close to me as she could get; right in my lap with my arms securely holding her. She trusted that Grandma would welcome her affection. She knew without a doubt, she would get mine. I truly loved having Katie seek my love today. God is a lot like a grandma/grandpa. He seeks our love every day. Our heavenly Father truly loves to have his children sidle up to him, crawl in His lap and let Him wrap His arms around us and allow Him to pour His love onto us. He is so honored to have us relax there awhile and soak up His love. He finds joy in recognizing the contentment in us as we rest in His embrace. Yes, we need to be like a little child in our relationship to God. A child has to trust his parent because if he doesn't, his needs aren't likely to be met. He or she doesn't have the resources to supply their own needs. A child (at least one in a healthy family) doesn't fret about whether there will be food on the table tomorrow or whether Daddy will have a job tomorrow or or or ....... A child simply trusts and knows that somehow Daddy or Mommy will see to it that their need is met. Hmmm, our heavenly Father can be trusted far more completely than human parents. He tells us He will meet our needs and He is trustworthy. He isn't going to turn us away or be too busy for us. Recently I heard a television minister say that as God's children we need to focus on His love for us. His point was that when we focus on trying to prove our love for Him, we find ourselves falling short. I couldn't help but agree wholeheartedly with that preacher. If I had to trust in my love for Jesus, I'd not have to even think I would have salvation. BUT, knowing God loves me with all His heart regardless of my faithfulness or unfaithfulness assures me of eternity with Him, my Savior. I praise Him for the forgiveness and reconciliation I have received through the blood He shed on the cross for me. And for you. So, I encourage each of us to crawl into His arms of grace and let Him care for us while we look into his loving eyes with devotion and gratitude. Soak it up!