Safe and Secure

Slow breathing. Relaxed body. Warm blanket.
That's how I spent my afternoon yesterday. The business that normally consumes my time during the kids' nap was set on hold to rock a sick child.

Glazed eyes. Slow movements. Sad whimpers.
That's how I knew he needed and desperately wanted more sleep. I chose to set aside my to-do list for this afternoon to rock this sweet little guy. I sat and rocked him for an hour and just listened to his congested breathing calm down and become smooth. I watched his eyes flutter open and closed with every twitch or noise. I felt his body grow heavier and heavier as the minutes progressed. I felt his hand carefully reach up and grab onto my shirt to ensure I wasn't going anywhere. Slowly, ever so slowly, comfort flooded his body, and after an hour of fighting it, he gave into the much needed sleep.
As I sat there rocking him, I couldn't help but smile because I felt my body relax. I could feel myself slowly allowing myself to forget about my to do list and just be in the moment of comforting this little guy. It made me think of how we all seek comfort. We all desire to feel that sense of peace come over us. We seek this out in so many different places-wealth, job security, love, kids, friends, and being involved in so many different things. But, all those things can so easily loosen their grip on us and allow us to fall from that place of security. There is a sense of uneasiness when we surround ourselves with these things. Unfortunately, it is easy to mistake that uneasy feeling as needing more. We neglect to recognize that those things cannot fill us.
So often I find myself wanting more. I find myself in states of unrest. I fidget and fuss and try to find something else to hold onto. The crazy thing is, when I find myself agitated and unsettled it's when I let go of God's hand and try to run along the path by myself. The path that I am on is not an easy one (none of our's is). I am on a journey full of twists and turns, ups and downs, fog and storms. The view is not clear to the end, and at times, there are moments when I cannot even see a few feet in front of me. Moments arise when the unknown is more overwhelming than the known, and I begin to feel as though I must reach out to find something else to latch onto. The problem arises because there is nothing out there that will give me the security and guidance I need besides God. He is the only one who can see past the storms that arise. He can see past the steep mountains I must climb, and he knows what is waiting for me around the corner. 

He never lets go. He never closes his eyes. He never rests. He is always there with open arms, ready to rock us until we are able to relax and feel his warmth, his love, and his protection.