Monday, October 21, 2013

Called Out of the Shrub

We celebrated a nap time breakthrough a few weeks ago. All on her own, Karen stuck her thumb in her mouth, rolled over, and conked out for a two-hour siesta.

If that doesn't seem like a big deal to you, you've probably never rocked a sleeping baby until your appendages went numb.

Over the next several days, Karen really got the hang of soothing herself to sleep. It wasn't until her doctor's appointment this past Friday that we encountered a hiccup in her new routine.

Karen received 5 different vaccines, which not only made her cry in the moment, but also left her with side-effects that made her extra cranky all weekend. Consequently, she was too restless to nap all on her own. She needed the extra reassurance of my arms in order to feel secure enough to rest.

As I rocked my little girl to sleep and did my best to comfort her, I began to think about how our loving Father comforts His children in the midst of trials.

At one time or another, we each find ourselves in circumstances that shake us to our core. Like the prophet Elijah in 1 Kings 19, we might long to run away and take cover under a shrub.

I know I've been there. The next time you find yourself in a dire situation, it may be helpful to reflect on how God lovingly met Elijah in the midst of his despair, and raised him up to fulfill his calling: