Tag: hugs

Childlike Faith…

I absolutely love being a dad!  The feeling that I get when I walk in the door to my home and my kids come running is indescribable.  I love the hugs and the kisses and the sheer joy I see on their faces!  Call me a “glass is half-empty kind of guy” but I’m pretty sure this won’t always be the case.  I can already see the difference in which my 21-month old daughter and my nine-year old daughter greet me.

But for now it makes me smile.  In fact, as I sit here, I can almost hear each of their voices, and feel each of their arms grabbing around my neck.  They love their dad.  I know it.  I can feel it.  And I love it…  But When will this enthusiasm stop?  Does it have to stop?

I have to ask myself – when was the last time I went running when my dad entered a room?  When was the last time I hugged my dad?  What changes?  Do we become too mature?  Too good? Too cool? I suppose it happens in all of our relationships.  We become too comfortable and take them for granted…  We begin to unconciously think, “This person is always here for me, it’s who they are, they have to be.”  Our childlike love and excitement goes away.  We grow up.  We know more.  We become complacent.

Recently, I was reading in Matthew 18 about children.  The disciples had asked Jesus about who was the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven and He used a child to answer their question.  He brought a little girl (it doesn’t really say girl – but I have girls – so I see this child as a little girl) and I imagine He picked her up and sat her on His lap.

She probably came to Jesus willingly…freely…arms open wide.  Perhaps she even gave Him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.  If it was my youngest she would have grabbed His face, looked Him square in the eyes, and then dove in with lips puckered for the the sweetest – slobbery kiss a person could hope for.

That image embodies Jesus’ point to the disciples.  This is an image of unconditional love, joy, and enthusiasm for a “dad” who loves us and loves that we love Him in return.  Jesus uses this image and teaches about a child like faith that is necessary to be great in the Kingdom of Heaven – and necessary to even enter Heaven in the first place.

We have to let go and return to those days of when we ran into the arms of our parents when they entered the room.  Those days long before we were embarrassed because we were too old.  Long before we were too cool to be seen hugging our dad.  Long before we began to take our relationships for granted.

I don’t know…maybe you are reading this today and you have never experienced any of this.  Never a parent, never had a good relationship with your parents, or never ran to Jesus with child like faith…but you can.  You can absolutely run to Jesus!

I need a hug!  I think I’m going to go find my daughters and my wife.  Let me encourage you to go and hug someone also.  Embrace it, hold it, and use it to remember that our Heavenly Father wants you to run to Him and hug Him too!

Until next time…

Pastor Barry

In the Presence…

Let me tell you about Kara…

My middle child, as opposed to her sisters, who can go and play by themselves for hours, wants to be with people.  It doesn’t matter what you are doing, where you are sitting, or even what time it is – Kara wants to be with you.

Recently we had one of those mornings.  One where, she got up early, and crawled in bed and snuggled up close. (And then kicked and pushed and squirmed….as she tried to get close.)  As I struggled for “space” I couldn’t help but think of how wonderful it was.

I also thought about her feelings, about how secure she must have felt nestled there.  At that moment there was no other place she wanted to be…it was there she felt loved…it was there she felt safe…it was there she felt at home…

I suppose this is what we all long for – a place where we can feel safe, a place where we can feel secure.

So this all got me thinking… In whose presence is it that I long to be?  But I also thought of the reverse of this question…Who is it that longs to be with me?

I long for the hugs of my daughter and her small hand grasping mine.  Yesterday she had her cast removed and replaced on her arm.  There she sat all brave holding onto my hand for security.  Knowing that even though she was scared I was with her….and I loved it!

If I long for this and love being wanted so much…how much more does our Heavenly Father long for our presence, our love, and our lives?

After all, it’s Him who can provide all the love we could want and all the hope we could ever need.

This is not an easy world to live in…that goes without saying.  So you may be reading this and finding yourself in a bad place, in a bad time, and in a bad way…

If that is true for you, then I want you to know that there is a place you can go.  There is a place you can find rest.  There is a place you can find security.  And most importantly there is a place you can find hope!

So take a moment and crawl up into Jesus’ lap…crawl within His arms…and just let Him hold you.  It is a wonderful place to be.  In fact, there is no better place to be…

Until next time…

Pastor Barry