Little children have so much they can teach us! Picture the toddler finding him/herself in a public space and momentarily out of sight of Mommy. There erupts from that pint-sized body, a heart-wrenching, ear-piercing wail. Should a stranger come along and attempt to calm the terrified youngster, the wailing would reach an even higher, ballistic level of intensity (should there exist such a thing). The abandonment feeling is near total and the wail has morphed to an inconsolable scream. Enter the frantic, guilt-stricken parent, who scoops up the red-faced orphan. Suddenly, with but a few hiccups, silence reigns once more. It remains uncertain who is clinging to whom the tightest. As she mouths a silent, pleading for forgiveness, ‘Sorry,’ to the now-gathered bystanders, she rains kisses on the tiny, tear-stained face. All the moms nearby nod in sympathy as they drift off to allow a private moment (and dry their own tears at witnessing the sweet reunion).
What has happened here? What brought about the instantly dropped volume and soothed the terror? The mother’s presence! Only her embrace. (No other pair of arms would have sufficed in the moment). Only her smell. Her hair. Her voice. Her kisses. The sweet reunion cancelled the snarling nightmare. Safety and security were restored. The shattered peace once more became the soft, warm and reassuringly familiar, blankie.
The application for us? In so many circumstances, regardless of our age or level of maturity, we need reminders that we are safe, that our security is always ‘with us’ ‘to the very end of the age.’ We are, let’s be honest, such fragile critters. Our orbits feel secure, bolstering our sense of being tough and in charge, of knowing what decisions to make, until a ‘disturbance’ threatens our ‘normal,’ chilling us to the bone in an onrush of anxiety with tears, and at times, perhaps, a grown-up version of wailing. It’s at this point, the Holy Spirit is stirred up in us to remind us – again! – that we have a standing invitation to look to Jesus, our friend and brother, the creator and restorer of our peace. He is always at the ready, always filled with love, always compassionate toward his easily frightened little ones. Looking forward to seeing all you grown up little ones tomorrow, 10 AM, 3 PM UK, 4 PM ES. PD
