Sometimes I wish life weren’t so complicated, full of daily challenges that are bigger than me. Some days, I wish life were as simple as I viewed it in childhood. Whenever anything “bad” happened, Mommy kissed it and it was suddenly all better. My world was perfect and full and creative again. And while the world still is creative, I am seeing more and more how imperfect it is. I have mentioned before that I work with little kids and while I enjoy it most days, some days are downright difficult, heartbreaking or frustrating. This past week, I walked into a classroom to find this usually active, bright-eyed toddler not acting like himself. He was mulling around the room, quiet, stiffened. When any child came near him, he flinched, screamed. He turned to me with arms stretched out and silently plead for me to pick him up. I did and cradled him in my arms, and he nestled his sweet head on my chest. Without sharing details, it was not a good sight of what we found. I wanted to burst into tears. I wanted to take him home where I knew he was safe. Childlike trust had been breached. And I vividly could picture a glimpse of how my Savior feels when he nestles us under His everlasting arms. How deeply he feels our pain, how saddened He is when fathers don’t act like fathers, when His image isn’t represented. He is continuously breaking my heart for what breaks His and showing me how deeply there is grace and redemption. How what is broken here, can be made whole through Him. So when your heart is left battered and bruised, know there is someone always ready and willing to cuddle and nestle you under Their everlasting arms.

“The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, ‘Destroy!'” , Deut. 33:27. NASB

-jengadi jean