Children: in Life, in Meetings, in Our Hearts

Question: Why does God allow us to feel large amounts of pain and confusion?

On a couple of occasions when a toddler has been visiting with me, they might have an opinion or two, or an ″issue″ that needs to be resolved. :) I'm sure NO ONE knows what I'm talking about here, right? On a couple of occasions with a young one, I've sat them down in my lap, on my office-style chair that spins around. I would hug them very tightly in my arms, and with a big grin on my face, I would spin them around and around and around in my chair, while on my lap.

Of course we'd both be a bit woozy and dizzy in short order, but while we were spinning together, I might sing a bit to them and talk to them gently. There was never a sign of panic in the child, but certainly some wide-eyed amazement and then disorientation and confusion at the whirling sights and lights around them.

And then, when I had their full attention, I would gently whisper to them, ″Did you notice that NOTHING in your world makes sense to you—everything is spinning and unrecognizable and unreliable…except for me? I'm the only stable thing in your world right now, aren't I?″ :)

While they were probably a little too young to understand the heart behind my aberrant behavior :) or to comprehend my explanation whispered in their ear, here's where we were going:

Question: SO…Why does God allow us, at times, to feel deep pain, and confusion, and rejection, and ________?

″Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do.″

Sometimes when we're too ″busy″ for Him, or too distracted, or too self-indulgent, or have too many opinions and God can't capture our total attention and trust and obedience…Father plants us in His lap, sings to us, whispers in our ears, and then spins us around in His chair, faster and faster.

And then, finally, when we can't look at all of the junk around us anymore (because it makes us sick to drool after it or stare at it any longer), He finally makes us realize that only HIS FACE is stable and dependable and always there for us. The whirling mess of sights and sounds and feelings around us can never replace…the ONLY stable thing in our lives, really: His Life and His Love for us, by His Son Jesus.

SOMETIMES He just has to get the chair spinning to make us see that. To make us see HIM. Think? :)