Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
As the evening winds down and our granddaughter, Virginia Rose's, bedtime draws near, I keep a close eye on the clock. The last time Danny and I had her over to spend the night, we allowed her to stay up later than her parents would permit. That made for one tired little girl in the morning, and we don't want a repeat performance as we have a busy Saturday planned. (Details to come in next Tuesday's post!)
Dutifully, I make sure Virginia brushes her teeth and changes into her pajamas, and leave ample time for a bedtime story and prayers before declaring lights-out. I retreat to our bedroom to do the same. When I reemerge into the dining room, this is the scene that greets me.
Seeing Virginia, snuggled up with the Papa she adores, as they view a cooking show on the computer, melts my heart. Bedtime or no bedtime, I decide I'm not going to be the one to break up these tender moments of warmth, security and love.
I close my eyes. A tear escapes. For when I am troubled, fearful, tired, or sad, I often picture myself as a little girl, crawling up into Jesus' lap, and being held in His strong, reassuring embrace. I may be a Gammie on the outside, but on the inside is a child who longs for the love and comfort of my Father.
My Abba.
Every day, I give thanks to Him who adopted me and calls me His own.
And never says, "No," when I ask to climb up in His lap.
~
When you look at your reflection in the mirror, do you see the child of God that you are?
Prayer: Abba, Father, we give thanks for Your Son, our Savior, Jesus, who reconciled us to You through His death on a cross, where He took our every sin away and made it possible for us to be Your sons and daughters. May we ever remember that we are Your beloved children. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Moment of Grace, moment of love!
ReplyDeleteAmen, Margaret, amen!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hi Martha! What a beautiful photo, I can only imagine how much more touching it would have been in person. Your Virginia Rose is one blessed grandchild.
ReplyDeleteAnd for your heart to go right to the Lord, that is so inspiring! And to be moved to tears at the sight too, that shows me that your love for her trumps a bedtime hour (at least this time!). That's a love choice.
Do I see myself as the child of God that I am? Well, sometimes yes, sometimes no. I need to get so much better at that. After all, that's who I am.
Have a wonderful weekend my inspiring friend. Blessings to you all!
Ceil
Yes, Ceil, it was indeed a love choice, a decision of the heart. The good news is Virginia wasn't worn out the next day. :)
DeleteI think it's something we all need to work on and remind ourselves of frequently, especially on those days that aren't going our way - we ARE God's children and there is ample room on His lap for all His little ones.
Hope your weekend is a great one, too, my friend!
Love and blessings!
That is just precious. yes crawling up to our Father's arms and feeling protected. Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sharon! What better place to be?
DeleteLove and blessings!
Oh Martha, this a breath-taking beautiful picture that you have painted with words! (The photo of Danny and Virginia is simply precious.) I love the idea of crawling up on Jesus' lap and let Him hold me and love on me. I think I need to spend more time doing that! Even after all this time, I still have struggles in seeing myself as a child of God--the child of a KING! Come to think of it, I'm a princess!
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, Kim, you are a princess and beloved by the King! Isn't that the most marvelous revelation? It took me long years of suffering feelings of inadequacy before I could accept this, but oh, how the Lord never gives up on us. That I can now take such comfort in that vision of Jesus holding me close is one of my life's greatest blessings. May it be yours, too, my friend!
DeleteGlad, too, that you loved this photo. As the slogan used to be, a true Kodak moment. :)
Love and blessings!
What better way to relax and then fall asleep than in the arms of "daddy."
ReplyDeleteI know, Bill. It's simply perfect!
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you for sharing the divine analogy, Martha. A lovely picture, message and reminder.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vishnu! It was, indeed, such a tender moment to experience. Just couldn't help but share.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Martha, What a beautiful picture. I completely agree . . . I will not be the one to end cuddle time with our grandson and oh yes, to know that my Father will hold and comfort me whenever I need Him. Thanks for this beautiful word of encouragement. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the kind words, Deb. Glad I'm not the only grandmother who feels this way about those oh-so-tender moments. :)
DeleteLove and blessings!
Yes, when I look in the mirror, I do see a child of God (even if she's a bit more wrinkled now!) I am so grateful that my Abba is always available, for I often crawl up into His lap where I feel His reassuring presence, and the voice that says, "all is well."
ReplyDeleteGOD BLESS!
"All is well." What marvelous words to hear, Sharon! And, indeed, all IS well when we stay close to our Abba.
DeleteLove and blessings!
great visual, climbing into the lap of our "Papa: that brings me comfort and a great way to start my day today. thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad this post gave you comfort, Jean, as you begin your day. I must admit, visualizing sitting in God's lap has comforted me countless times.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hugs Martha this was so touching and profound!
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear friend!
DeleteLove and blessings!