Tuesday, November 07, 2006

...a safe harbor


When our kids were little and exploring the world they found security having their father right there with them. Out on a hike, they would climb a boulder and call for their dad to be right under them and then they would have the courage to climb a little farther. In the city park, they could find the bravery to ask the person if they could pet their dog- if they had hold of daddy's hand. On the playground, they would venture forth and then unsure run back to hold his pant legs till they were more sure about the merry go round and the other children.
Sometimes in a crowded room,being so small and daddies being so tall, our toddlers would latch on to the wrong set of legs and then realizing the mistake they would scurry over to be whisked up in strong arms and reassured.
Children learn- Daddies keep you safe, or they should, that is what God intended. Many fathers are not there to protect their children and many bring harm to the ones they are intrusted to- that is Not what God intended.
My children were blessed with a father who would lay down his life for them without millasecound hesitation- we all are not as fortunate with our earthly father. But our heavenly father has already layed down his life for us- when he died on the cross, so that we could always be with him, if we only asked.
But the promise does not stop with a heavenly guarnentee. He promise to be with us always- "even to the ends of the earth" that there is no place on this earth, "no height nor depth" that can seperate us from him now. In the scary situations he is there, in the happy times he is there, in the new and exciting times he is there. We only need to look behind us and run back into his safe harbor, the trick is remembering to do it.