Giggles fill the air. Feet patter across the floor. In the kitchen, through the living room, around and around. Moving quickly from one thing to the next. Feet carrying her along until…until she reaches a point. A point at which her feet trail behind and…Boom! Her little body tumbles face first onto the floor.

At some point, her feet can’t keep up with her busybody, busy mind. At some point, she gets hurt.

As her mother, I cringe when I see her fall. When I see her in pain. Somewhere deep inside it pulls at me to see my daughter hurt.

While I don’t like seeing her in pain it is the pain that draws her back into my arms. It is the pain, the hurt that allows me to reach out and comfort her. It is the hurt that gives me the opportunity to actively mother.

Is it not the same with God? He doesn’t like to see us hurt. He has great compassion towards our pain. However, in our pain, we turn to Him. And in that place of turning, that place of running into God’s arms we are comforted, protected. In His arms, He has the opportunity to actively be our Father.

Pain is uncomfortable. We grow weary in pain. Yet it is in pain that we become a picture of our  true selves as mother or child and God as Father. Through pain, we are comforted.

 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. NKJV

Isaiah 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ESV