When my kids were babies, they loved wrapping their tiny lips around all sorts of objects at ground level. The indoor menu featured shoes, TV remotes, and toys (usually in that order of preference). On the menu outdoors were dried-up dead leaves; carelessly discarded brown apple cores; dirt; gum nuts; and stones.
In this photo, my baby girl is engaged in an earnest tug-of-war with me over a shard of concrete. She’d managed to unearth it from our lawn and have a furtive taste while I was distracted.
As soon as I spotted the jagged edges of that grimy concrete, I knew it wasn’t the best thing for her to gnaw on. Being stronger than her, I was able to prize it from her grip with ease; but, oh, her quivering bottom lip and furrowed brow tugged at my heart as I yanked that concrete away.
Although I hated seeing my wee baby’s face get all flushed as she screeched in protest, I had to let her tears gush: I knew more than her. She couldn’t possibly understand my perspective. Even if I’d tried to explain, she wouldn’t have comprehended my words let alone the concepts behind them. So I gave her a soothing hug and she soon settled.
Sometimes I don’t understand what God is doing in my life. When an unanswerable “Why?” starts ricocheting around my head, I think back to my precious babies, with their less-than-discerning palates. I’m God’s dearly loved daughter. He knows more than me. I can’t possibly understand his perspective.
And I think back to Jesus, God’s perfect son. He was obedient to the point of death, yet he still cried out to God at Gethsemane before his arrest. He looked at his Father through tear-brimmed eyes, beseeching him to intervene.
In the end, Jesus found solace in the act of yielding. He released his grip and entrusted himself to his Father. May we, too, find solace as we yield to God.
Father, thank you for for being so personally acquainted with grief and sorrow. When we struggle to understand why you allow your dearly loved children to experience distress, may we remember Jesus at Gethsemane. For those who are suffering, please comfort them as they cry out to you. We entrust ourselves to you. Amen.
Photo + devotion ©️ Fruitful Today