Extreme Joy

Extreme Joy

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Holding Tight

He was not about to let go. The knuckles of his little hand were turning white as his face began to turn  amber red. While grasping the handle of the cup his eyes were locked with his dad's and his little world went into a toddler lock down.  Cameron was not about to let go of the cup even though his 4 year old brother Hayden pulled on the opposite handle while screaming out. The more Cameron's dad told him to let go, the tighter the toddler grasp became until tears began filling his big blues eyes.

I watched as Cameron's dad took his large hands and pried the little fingers from the cup handle. This is not going to be pretty, I thought to myself as the squirming child was picked up and taken to another spot in the room. Cameron needed a moment to settle down and dad was going to make sure it happened. With Cameron cradled in his arms, his dad whispered words of comfort and correction and soon Cameron was no longer squirming, but leaning into the strong arms that were now a loving embrace.

Do I do the same thing? Do I hold on to something that is going to either get me in trouble or is something I don't need? And with tears in my eyes, I spiritually look at my Heavenly Father and hold on with all that is within me - even as I hear His words of wisdom telling me to let go - I only grasp tighter.

I thought of how inflexible and unyielding I can be as I hold on to certain things, be it lack of faith, fear, pride, unforgiveness or anger, until I simply reach a point of lock down. It is at this time that the Lord has to get my attention. Sometimes He pulls me away with a gentle nudge while other times He has to use circumstances to swoop down, pick me up and remove me from the situation in one swift motion. Once He has my attention I can began to hear His voice and His words as they pour over me while I am cradled in His loving arms.

And while He has me in His grasp . . . well that is the best part, He speaks into my spirit and tells me He loves me and He understands. This is what I want to remember the most . . . the closeness of those special moments as I hold on tight to Him.



photo courtesy of photobucket.com

6 comments:

  1. That is a wonderful post, Beth! The analogy is fantastic! And yes, so many times we can be like that toddler, holding onto something that God wants us to let go of. It is such a wonderful experience to be able to let go and let God take us to that new place in His loving embrace. LOVE IT!!! :)

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  2. Beautiful. I remember my daughter howling when I tried to take her blankie for a moment. It was wrapped around her feet and I knew it would trip her once she began to walk. She couldn't see that, though. All she knew was that I was taking her beloved blankie. I'm just like that. Nice job, Beth.

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  3. Thanks Lori,
    I think we can all relate.
    Beth

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  4. Thank you Vonda for stopping by!
    Beth

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