Our Father

Imagine a weeping child... hot tears of anger, frustration, disappointment, fear or pain slip down his cheeks. His little fingers are balled into tight little fists as he hiccups and struggles to find some calm.

Who the child is and why he is crying is not important; at this moment, comfort is the priority.

We reach out. We scoop them close to our chest; perhaps we rock and whisper quiet words to slow the frantic crying. Perhaps, in a moment of anger, the child refuses comfort, pushing back, his cries becoming louder; he tries to force out words, but he fumbles... his pain and fear are so great there are no words.

At last, surrender. With his ear pressed against your chest, the sobs that shook his body have subsided to occasional shudders. His breathing slows, the hiccups fade; we continue to sway gently back and forth. Perhaps we rub his back to help him settle. Or perhaps, when our voice finds us again, we quietly begin to sing.

It is a beautiful picture brimming with love, trust, and compassion.

Perhaps today you are that small child. Perhaps the pain, fear, disappointment and anger in your circumstances have left you feeling alone and forgotten. Perhaps the dark days of life are becoming an unbearable burden. Perhaps there are only questions and no answers. Maybe today, the only relief you can find is in hot, quiet tears in the privacy of a dark room.

You need only to manage a single word: Abba. Papa. Father. Choke it out if you need to. Let it be the whisper of your heart. Let it be the only word you muster from beneath a sea of tears.

For He is there. And you are His.

The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing.

~ Zephaniah 3:17 ~