Diapers, Pacifiers, and Other Holy ThingsНамуна

Daddy’s Lap

A blood-curdling scream pierced the air. I rushed to Amanda’s room. Peter, my husband, was already there, pulling our distraught daughter into his arms.

Amanda wasn’t hurt; she was frustrated. She had battled a foe—a tennis shoe that refused to be tied. Victory was a-foot! But in the end, she had been de-feeted.

"Honey, when you need help, all you have to do is ask," Peter whispered as he stroked her hair. A sob, a sniff, a sigh, and Amanda snuggled deeper into his lap.

Oh, the comfort of Daddy’s lap. The relief of big arms to hug away frustration. In Daddy’s lap, life’s battles fade.

Watching them, I realized I needed to crawl into my Father’s lap too. Being a child of God makes Him my “Abba,” my Papa. I often imagined Him sitting in a chair, motioning for me to come sit with Him. But lately, I was running past Him, calling, "Catch You later! Too much to do!" His eyes filled with disappointment. He simply wanted to be with me.

I grabbed my Bible and went to the quiet office chair. He was there, waiting. I crawled into His lap and cried.

"Father, I’ve missed You. Forgive me for neglecting You. Like Amanda, I’ve been fighting a battle—a losing battle of too little time and too much to do."

Friends thought I had my life “together.” They came to me for advice. But lately, no matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t keep up. Projects piled up at work. I had to do the work of three people. My babysitter quit, the cat needed shots, the refrigerator was empty, and I carried a heavy emotional burden for a friend in deep counseling.

Peter’s words to Amanda echoed in my heart: "When you need help, all you have to do is ask."

"Please, Father. Help? I don’t have the strength to do this."

His answer came quickly. "The battle is not yours. It is Mine."

Uggh! His truth hit me hard. How many times had God warned me not to take on battles He had not called me to? Why did I feel responsible for every need? Why did I plunge into noble causes without God?

Self-effort is self-destruction. It robs God of His glory and leaves me exhausted. Exhaustion is God’s reminder that I’m not resting in Him.

"Forgive me, God. Forgive me for trusting in my strength instead of Yours."

I turned to a passage I had memorized: "The battle is not yours, but Mine. You will not have to fight this battle. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance I will give you" (2 Chronicles 20:15, 17, NLT).

In that moment, nothing in my circumstances changed. But everything in my heart changed.

I closed my Bible and crawled down from my Father’s lap, but throughout the day’s battles, I never let go of His hand.

Reflection Questions:

1. List the battles you are fighting. Are you relying on your own strength or God’s strength? Are you fighting battles the Lord has not asked you to fight?
2. Read 2 Chronicles 20. The Israelites defeated an army by standing still and trusting God. What does it require to stand? How does this relate to Psalm 46:10’s command to "be still, and know that I am God"?