Sunday 26 August 2018

God's cradle - our hammock

Just one more pull, one more time...

Recently, I had an image come to mind of when my children were small. They would want to get onto a chair, couch, or their bed, and they would run and pull themselves up on their stomachs. Their tiny legs would kick and their little arms would wrestle their way onto the cushion or mattress. And having passed the hurdle, they would lay on their backs and be the most content in all the world. I miss those days. Days when I would give them a little push so they'd make it onto the chair, hold their hands as we cross a street, say a bedtime prayer, or cut their sandwiches into squares... just like so. Truthfully, though, God's design for our children is that they grow up, move out, and repeat the whole 'life thing' as independent adults. And, I wouldn't have it any other way.

There's another image that caught my attention this week. That of a cradle, of God's cupped hands, and my wife, figuratively on her stomach, kicking her legs and wrestling to get into his 'hands'. Finally, after achieving her goal, she would lay on her back and be the most content in all the world.

God's hands, his cradle, has been our hammock this week. During one of Wendi's low points, while lying in the hammock, she told me that she was worried. Worried about the future, about the cancer treatments, about her own longevity; and I really didn't know what to say anymore. And then I saw God's hands, in the shape of our hammock, and I had peace. For just as the hammock is shaped to every contour of our body for our optimal comfort, I picture God's hands shaped in such a way that Wendi's every ache, soreness, and worry are soothed by his special grip.

It has been this hammock that has given Wendi the most comfort and contentment this week as she heals from surgery and awaits the next stages of treatment.

And while she lies in contentment and rests on the hammock, in God's cradle... I get to sit next to her...holding her hands... and pray.

Kind of reminds me of when we'd sit on the edge of our children's bed after they had just kicked and squirmed their way onto their mattress. And lying comfortably on their backs we'd say a bedtime prayer.

"Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep;
Guide me safely through the night,
Wake me with your morning light.
Amen."

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