‘Twas the moment before bedtime, when all through the house….
I had already tucked my little pookie into his crib with his favorite cuddly, gray blanket. His big brother was safely in bed as well, though probably reading by nightlight. But he was tucked in nonetheless.
I was on to the last one: my daughter. I had read to her, prayed with her, and sang her favorite song. I was home free. I crossed to the other side of her bed to turn off her lamp and was about to make my getaway. “Click,” went the lamp. Yes!
“Mom!” she exclaimed. “Can you please get used to the light with me…while holding my hand!”
Now, getting used to the light with her is something I have done in the past. It takes a while for your eyes to adjust to the new darkness. But she knew I would just keep walking and casually wait by the door. No, this time, she wouldn’t let me escape! I had to wait, while holding her hand, to insure that I would stay in her room as long as possible, thus delaying bedtime.
I sighed and said to my daughter, exasperated, “Sometimes you are just soooo much!”
That’s just a nice way of saying, “You are getting on my very last nerve!” …But I didn’t want to hurt her feelings! Sometimes, the members of our families are just hard to take.
How is it that God does not get tired of us? We are way less intelligent than Him. Science, universe, space, time: He gets it. I mean, I once used toy balls to explain a solar eclipse to my kids!
He also knows the future, so how is He able to always be with us without getting bored? It’s like watching a movie you’ve seen 100 times. You don’t ever need to watch the ending because you’ve seen it so much.
But He is always with us. He even likes us when we’re annoying. He has no last nerve.
In Psalm 139, we get an intimate look at how much our Father knows us and loves us, quirks and all. Read it all if you need a reminder. In verse 1, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.” There is no hiding your bad habits from Him. And still, in verse 5, we see how He always stays with us. “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.”
And this one, this one really gets to me because it is beyond my brain to understand it. “How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!” (verse 17).
When I stop and think about this kind of love and devotion, it refreshes my spirit. This God who loves me this much, who has shown me infinite love and grace, also daily empowers me to show love and grace. Even when my family is just soooo much!
