I was catching up on my blog-reading this morning (and I’m not really all that far behind), enjoying the rare sleeping-in feature of a newly minted big-bed girl, when I came across some words of wisdom that I have to share. Ann at Holy Experience of LISTENING often catches me with her insights, and today, following a link in her post, she did it again.
Reading to Levi on the couch this afternoon while nursing Shalom, I stumbled upon some profound theology.
Right there in “The World of Christopher Robin”. And in case I missed it, the lines repeated themselves four times—which is a good thing, because I can be pretty slow.
“Whenever a good nor’ wester blows,
Christopher is certain of
Sand-between-the-toes.”Just last week I had decided I wanted sand between my toes—because each granule of sand reminded me that His thoughts towards me are as numerous as the sand on the seashore. Sand stuck to everything is a reminder of how He thinks endlessly of me.
I love this image of sand as the metaphor for God’s thoughts of us – endless, persistent, there even when maybe we can’t see them or feel them.
Nor’ westers are when the bank account is running dry and you’re drowning in bills.
Nor’ westers are when the doctor gulps hard before he tells you and you bite your lip hard after he tells you.
Nor’westers are when you are reaching out to touch a granite headstone when you’d like to be holding someone close and long.
Nor’westers are when the baby keeps wailing, dinner is burning, the toddler didn’t make it to the bathroom in time, the preschooler wants you to tie his shoe and the older kids are screaming at each other over a boardgame….and tomorrow looks like more of the same.
And oh, do I ever relate to THIS. Do I ever feel nor’westers…all the time!
With the sand driven between my toes, I can’t deny it. I know He is there. I can feel Him. That He has infinite thoughts of good towards me. Blown in on a nor’ wester.
“Trials should not lead us to doubt the love of the King; they should convince us of it.”~P. Tripp
So, perhaps what I need to pray for, perhaps what I need to ask for, is the strength to pray for more trials. I’m not there yet. And I can’t help but think that maybe the trials are inevitable. Maybe I’m going to have them no matter what…but to see them as a GIFT, as PROOF of God’s love for me…well, now, that makes all the difference between half-full and half-empty!
