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Stay Near, My Child
A older girl comes along and does tricks on the bars that look pretty scary and she doesn’t have anyone helping her. This must give my daughter confidence, and she swings on some bars that are very high off the ground -- ones that she would have never attempted before -- without even telling me, without even asking for me to be near. As I glance across the playground, I see her swing, lose her grip and fall to the ground, landing right on the side of her face and her shoulder, with a thud. I run and scoop her up, hoping she’s alright, hearing her cries, and hugging her and comforting her -- wondering why she was so careless, why she would try “those” bars. She knows those are too high, she knows she needs my help, but yet she tried them anyway without me.
It made me think of our lives, when we walk in obedience to God, we are under His protection. His hands are around us, guiding us, protecting us. We know what we are allowed to do, and what we should steer clear of. But as we see someone else doing something we would never dare, seeming so carefree, and getting away with it “appearing” unharmed, we do this thing we know we are not supposed to.
We end up falling with a thud. But our Father does not stand above us as we lay on the ground and say “See, I told you ! You got what you deserved. I’m through with you.”
No! He runs to us, scoops us up in His loving arms, rocking us gently, calming our sobs, and says “Child, I love you. Why were you so careless? Why did you do what you knew was so dangerous? Why did go where you knew I didn’t allow. Next time, stay near me. Let me help you. Be more careful so you don’t get hurt again.”
by Julie Ryan