What do you do at the end of a long day at work, and you’re ready to head out the door and go home? Does your energy wane, or do you rev up in anticipation of seeing someone you love, your comfortable chair, and a warm meal; perhaps you have fun plans with some friends that gives you a second wind?
What if you’re waiting and anticipating someone else’s arrival home? Do you start watching the clock, or maybe start peeking out the window, even listening for the garage door to open or a key turning in the lock? Anticipation for the comfort, security, and love that is waiting after a hard and long day has a way of reviving our energy and strength.
When the day is over at the preschool where I teach, I love to watch the little faces of the children as they file out the door to the pick-up area. They are eagerly and hopefully searching the crowd for the familiar face that they know loves them so much, whether it’s Mom or Dad, maybe Grandma or Grandpa, sometimes a much-admired big sister. The children carefully walk down the slate steps with their heavy backpacks bouncing up and down, some of them beginning to look a bit apprehensive if they don’t immediately see the someone who is there just for them.
But then, one by one, like stars appearing in the twilight sky, little faces light up, they dump their heavy backpacks on the sidewalk behind them, and they go racing out to waiting hands that pluck them out of the air and hold them close. They eventually retrieve their backpacks and start to empty out their cares of the day: their artwork, their triumphs, their boo-boos, their tears, their giggles – all of it comes rushing out of their hearts as they work their way home, because they are so aware that the people who love them think they are important and significant.
God uses little ones such as these as examples of how He wants us to come to Him, without fear, perfect trust, and dropping our burdens from our backs to leap into His arms. He wants our faces to eagerly and expectantly be searching for Him. He wants us to tell Him everything – what we’re excited about, our desires, our hopes, what is scaring us, what we are furious about, what disappointed us today. He already knows, but He wants to hear our heart, because He is our most trusted confidante, and He wants us to let Him carry that heavy burden we’ve been lugging. He even knows we may get so very angry at Him from time to time. I see the kids sometimes wail in protest at their parents when things aren’t going the way they expect or the way they want. But Mom and Dad love them desperately, no matter what tantrum must be endured in the car ride home and what words are spewed at them, because their job is to do what their children need at the moment.
God wants us to be as excited to see Him every day as the children – to come to Him with every care, every story, every fear, everything that is in our heart, even if we’re throwing a tantrum in protest over what is happening. He wants us to tell Him because He wants us to trust Him, and we are very significant to Him. He’s not far away, even when we are apprehensive that we’re not seeing Him. However, He’s always ready and waiting to pluck us up as we race to tell Him about our day. He knows we may throw a tantrum now and then…He does know, and He loves us always, no matter what words we spew at Him in protest.
“Let the little children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” – Matthew 19:14
Dance on.
Grace Notes 