A few weeks ago, my son Nathaniel started to crawl. Not soon after he realized that if he shuffled his way over to the coffee table, he could easily pull himself up. Of course the third, and quite natural lesson, was that if he isn't careful, he will fall.
And that's precisely what happened. He fell - and he cried.
And my heart broke.
I am convinced that there is nothing more heartbreaking than to hear a child you love, and for whom you are responsible, break down in tears because they have been hurt. In that moment, I was willing to do just about anything to take away the pain that my son was feeling. I wanted him to know joy and laughter.
Well if we, as parents, so desperately want to take away the pain that our children feel - imagine just how much more God desires to restore joy and happiness to our lives once more. I've preached them many times - but it wasn't until I became a parent that I truly came to understand it. God longs for us to know joy amidst sorry - God wants us to find love amidst hatred - and God made it possible for us to find forgiveness in a world that often seems void of second-chances.
As people of faith, we learn to crawl. Not soon after we begin to pull ourselves up. And of course at some point, we will cry to God for help. The promise is that God hears the heartbreaking cries of God's people - and God longs nothing more than to turn our mourning into dancing.
After all, isn't that what parents are for?
And that's precisely what happened. He fell - and he cried.
And my heart broke.
I am convinced that there is nothing more heartbreaking than to hear a child you love, and for whom you are responsible, break down in tears because they have been hurt. In that moment, I was willing to do just about anything to take away the pain that my son was feeling. I wanted him to know joy and laughter.
Well if we, as parents, so desperately want to take away the pain that our children feel - imagine just how much more God desires to restore joy and happiness to our lives once more. I've preached them many times - but it wasn't until I became a parent that I truly came to understand it. God longs for us to know joy amidst sorry - God wants us to find love amidst hatred - and God made it possible for us to find forgiveness in a world that often seems void of second-chances.
As people of faith, we learn to crawl. Not soon after we begin to pull ourselves up. And of course at some point, we will cry to God for help. The promise is that God hears the heartbreaking cries of God's people - and God longs nothing more than to turn our mourning into dancing.
After all, isn't that what parents are for?
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