Rocking Chair Thoughts

Clayton had his 2 month check-up this morning, which means he had his first round of vaccines. Four shots, two needles in each thigh. He screamed and cried one of those cries that breaks your heart and makes you nervous at the same time-- bright red face, holding his breath, vibrating in the back of his throat until he lets it all out cry. That cry didn't last long this morning; as soon as the nurse was finished, he finished too, and fell sound asleep. This afternoon, however, is another story. He screamed and cried that pitiful cry for 45 minutes or so, until I was able to rock him to sleep.

As I was rocking him I began to think about how we, as God's children, and He, as our Father, must be much like this scenario. See, I know that Clayton needs those shots to stay healthy, that they are in his best interest. In addition, I have experienced the pain of shots; I understand how he feels. I also know, because I have experienced it, that the pain will not last long, but the benefits will. He does not know any of these things, and cannot know them. He has not experienced pain like that before, and cannot possibly comprehend how it could be good for him. Bless his heart. Doesn't this sound familiar? All the trials and hardships in our lives are so painful at the time, and yet God promises that they are for our good. As we look back on them we understand that they turned out for good; in the midst of them we hurt, we do not understand. We cannot understand because we are not God.

The Lord says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways...
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my
thoughts than your thoughts." - Isiah 55:8

We scream and cry because of the pain. If only we knew what He knows. If only we knew that He understands how it feels because He was one of us. If only we knew that He was allowing the pain for our good, and that the pain is temporary. If only we knew that He was there "rocking" us, holding us close, loving us with a love beyond our comprehension.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the
testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that
YOU MAY BE PERFECT AND COMPLETE, LACKING IN NOTHING." - James 1:2-4

"So we do not lose heart... For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal
weight of glory beyond all comparison..." - 2 Corinthians 4:17

It is amazing the things I am learning about God as Father through parenthood.