She sat on his knee during the evening church service. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, and his beard tickled her cheek when she would turn to whisper something in his ear. He wrapped his strong arms around her while she wiggled and squirmed keeping her from falling or sliding off to the ground. She held her little orange Bible and pretended to read. While the congregation sang she joined in her little girl voice swallowed by the deep rhythmic voice of her father. The service continued and she remained the princess on the throne of her daddy’s lap.
She opened her little orange Bible once more. This time something fell out. It was a little bookmark. The long haired blond child watched as it floated to the floor. She wondered what to do. She tried to reach it but it was too far away. Her arms weren’t long enough. That’s when she whispered in her daddy’s ear for help. With ease he swept the floor with his long arm and with ease he picked up the lost treasure and returned it to his daughter.
God is like that. When we decide to rest, and find contentment in His arms. He holds us safe and secure while we wiggle in squirm through life’s long message. We feel His presence blowing into our lives. He allows us to move without smothering us, and when something we treasure falls out of our reach and no matter what we try we can’t bring it back, and we realize we need the help of our Father’s long arm, we find He is quick and able to restore to us what was lost.
I was reminded as I witnessed father and daughter going through the motions of life of how effortless and worry free losses can be when we are resting in the strong arms of our Lord and Savior. If only I could remember not to struggle and fret but just whisper in my Savior’s ear, “it has fallen and I can’t pick it up” and rest in His ability to reach down and pick it up, to restore to us the thing that has been lost.