Daddy's arms

When you're little, there's no where on earth that is better than Daddy's arms. You don't really know why, but you just feel so safe, that if anything bad happens around you, it doesn't even matter because you're in your daddy's arms.

You get a little older, old enough to make decisions of your own. You're learning your own opinion in life. You feel God telling you that you can go ahead and date this guy. You talk to your dad about it, and he tells you some things to look out for. You hear what he says, and pursue the relationship...but you don't pursue it in the way that you should. You don't handle things the right way, so it becomes not so okay anymore.

It's not like he's a bad guy and you really do bad things...he seems to be following the Lord...and you're following the Lord. But it's that when you were growing up you always dreamed of dating, and you knew exactly how it was going to go when you got to start. But you don't do what's necessary to bring him into the family, to talk about him openly, or even talk to you friends about him that much. You've handled it the wrong way and you know it.

You feel God telling you to let go of the relationship because you clearly aren't ready to handle a relationship. You still hold onto it for a little longer because of a few things: 1. He's pretty stinkin' cute! 2. He seems to be following God, and if he is, then he should have these doubts too. (Even though you know God speaks to some people earlier than He does others..) 3. You really don't mind the feeling when someone likes you enough to come to your workplace and tell you his feelings for you, not knowing what your reply would be. Finally you work up the courage to break it off because you're 100% sure that this is what God is telling you to do.

During all of this, you feel Daddy's arms getting farther and farther away. Not because of him, but because of you. You know he's right, but you can't get yourself to let go. So instead of running to him and saying you're sorry, you just don't really talk about it.

But when you finally do break it off with your boyfriend, you want to run into his arms again, but things are different. You made them different.

Then something bad happens, and it's forcing you to be stronger. You have to figure out what to do, but you just feel so alone. You try and try to do it yourself, but you find yourself running back to Daddy's arms. Suddenly, you're that little girl again. Yes, the world around you feels like it's falling apart, but you're in his arms and everything feels okay.

The same thing is true about our amazing God. When you first find your faith, you feel Daddy's arms around you. Yes, you might feel like everything's falling apart, but it's okay because you're in His arms.

Then you mature and get a little older. You feel like you're old enough, it's time you make decisions of your own. You find a new thing to spend your time on. He voices His concerns, but you're big enough to handle it. You thought it was okay in the beginning, but it's no longer okay because of the way you handle it.

You struggle and finally free yourself from it, but things have changed and you feel like you can't run to Him like you used to be able to.

Something bad happens and it forces you to be a stronger person. It stretches you in ways you never thought you would be stretched. You try to handle it with His help and suddenly, you find yourself running back to His arms like that little girl. Yes everything around you is falling apart, but you're in His arms...