The Parent

This weekend I was privileged to sit with a friend at a sporting event as she watched her child perform a routine before a panel of judges. I joined in her anxiety during the performance. When the routine ended, with a deep exhalation, she murmured, "I can breathe again!" Those of us who shared that moment, giggled as we identified with the feeling.

I wonder if our God, our Father, feels the same way sometimes. When we approach moments in our lives when the decision that we are about to make, may impact the next hours, weeks or years, does God hold His breath in anticipation?

As a parent, I know that I share the anxieties, fears and joys of my own children. I delight when wonderful things happen. I cry with them in times of sorrow. My own parents did the same with me.

Our Father has known us before we were born. He knows our hearts and our minds. He is a parent to each of us in very profound ways.

As we face troubling times, He is there for us. Picture God, our Father, watching us with the confidence of a parent who has prepared His child to face the difficulties. Like a good parent, He is holding His breath while we ponder decisions that face us. Imagine His delight, when we turn to Him for guidance or assistance.

Next time a challenge presents itself, remember that our Father is holding His breath with you and for you. Consider inviting God, our Father, to guide you through.