"Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3
The Bible is filled with stories of the people of God who endured great atrocities. But many were also well-acquainted with the character of God—a loving, patient and protecting Father, quick to console His people. He comforted them during their most difficult seasons back then and He still comforts us now.
“I will never leave you or forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5
Ever since I had Josiah-my first child, I have driven in the back seat of our SUV. So it’s no surprise that I am still in the back seat five years later with three children. I love knowing that if there is ever an emergency I am close to them at all times. Furthermore, the front seat is overrated anyhow. It’s way more fun being in the back with the kiddos.
Recently, my family and I relocated to Maryland and in the weeks leading up to our move my husband and I worked assiduously to make the transition as smooth as possible for the children, but packing and cleaning and caring for three little ones is somewhat difficult especially if you are trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. Although some days were a little more challenging than others, overall, we were able to keep them on schedule with few interruptions to their sleeping and eating routine. The final day, however, was a little difficult for the baby. She wouldn’t settle down long enough to eat and was a bit fussy for most of the day.
As we got closer to leaving, I became very concerned because I knew I had to drive an hour before being able to sit next to her since my husband was driving the moving truck. So, I asked my husband to take the boys out to the vehicle so I could spend a few minutes alone with her. I tried feeding and playing with her because I foresaw that she would have a difficult time since she is not accustomed to me not being with her in the back seat for such an extended period.
It took only a few minutes into the trip before she began crying. I put in her favorite DVD and it helped to calm her down for a brief moment before she began crying again. I gave her my phone and put on her favorite ABC video. Yes, it worked! About halfway into our trip my husband called. I had to take the call because I knew he needed to give me some instructions on what the plan was to make the transfer. At that moment, I wished I had not taken his call because nothing I did after that calmed her down.
Her simple cries for Mommy turned into bellowing screams. This time every attempt at giving her phone was met with rejection. Her screams for Mommy were piercing to my heart because I knew at that moment I couldn’t stop driving. As I frantically tried to reassure her that we were almost to our destination, her screams only got louder and louder. My heart was breaking for her and I felt myself getting frustrated because I couldn’t comfort her.
“Immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him.
” Matthew 14:31.
“Why not just pull over?” you may ask. “Is your deadline more important than giving your baby the attention she needed?” To this, I say absolutely not. But I knew that if I had pulled over to comfort her and then put her back into her seat I would have done her a greater disservice, so I made a conscious decision not to pull over in the first place. Just then, I stopped trying to reassure her and reached my hand around to the back of my seat and began rubbing her legs and her screams softened immensely.
I was excited, to say the least, because I wasn’t sure how much longer I would be able to drive if she hadn’t calmed down. So I quickly decided to gently search for her hand. I placed my fingers into the palm of her hand, allowing her to grasp my fingers, and instantaneously she stopped crying. Wow!!! Now that’s what you call a miracle, I whispered to myself. “Thank you, God.” I kept my fingers in her palm while using my thumb to stroke the top of her hand. She still had a temper from crying but she was comforted by holding on to my fingers. I could tell that she felt safe because her grip was tight and there was complete silence. To be honest, I was in awe of that miracle. It was instant.
The journey got easier and a lot more relaxing but just then my husband called again and I released my grip so that I could answer the phone and just like that the flood gates were opened and the screaming started back up. I ended our conversation as quickly as I could but it wasn’t fast enough. She was at it again. Her temper rose quickly and it felt like it took a lifetime to calm her back down. After much trying she once again held on to my fingers. I did tell my husband before getting off the phone that I would not be able to answer any more of his calls in order to make sure she was comforted.
The same is true of our relationship with Christ. When we hold on to His unchanging hand we have peace, confidence, and courage to tackle the obstacles life throws our way.
But in the same way, when we become comfortable in our Christian journey and release
our grip from Christ’s hand, before long we sink into temptations
and all manner of evil.
Sometimes it is only for a brief moment, but those brief moments sometimes change the course of our lives forever. I can’t tell you how often I have gotten off course because I took my eyes off Jesus and released my grip. I have wasted so much time trying to control my life only to end up feeling burned-out, exhausted, and empty, all the while knowing that if I keep my eyes fixed on Him who is Author and Finisher of my faith, I will have peace even during the storms of life.
There are also times when we have to ignore some phone calls, text messages, and even emails so that we can focus our attention on God and the work He is doing in us. Let’s always keep in mind that it is the enemy’s plan to distract us so that we lose focus on what is important and more critically on Who is important. Take a few moments now to soak in this passage of Scripture and let it sustain you not only for today but also in the days ahead. Let the Lord be your Hiding Place and refuge!
I HAVE NO RIGHTS TO THIS SONG
