Noelle and Drew have this tradition. Whenever she first sees him (in the morning coming downstairs, when he comes home from work, etc.) and before bed, she always gives him a running jump hug. It is such a joy to watch. He will set down anything that is in his hands and plant himself at one end of the room or hall and opens his arms. Noelle will back up as far as she can and then runs full speed to him, leaping into his arms for one mighty hug. Every time.
Noelle runs to Drew when she needs him; she runs to him when she is hurt, but she runs to him for so much more than that as well. Noelle runs to her Daddy because she loves him, because she is excited to be with him and because she cannot think of a better place to be.
As we were singing the following words this morning, this image of Noelle running to Drew sprang to mind again.
Oh, I'm running to Your arms
I'm running to Your arms
The riches of Your love
Will always be enough
Nothing compares to Your embrace
Light of the world forever reign
(Hillsong, Forever Reign)
And while I can't deny its an image that is precious to me because of the relationship between Drew and Noelle, it took on an even deeper and sweeter image, as I realized this was exactly what had happened when Noelle made her decision to follow Jesus Christ.
When I think back on Noelle's baptism, I remember her sheer, all-encompassing joy. She was literally reverberating with it the day before and the morning of. And as I consider how she runs into the arms of Drew, I can so easily envision how she ran- joyfully and eagerly- into the arms of her Heavenly Father that Sunday morning. Noelle knew He would be there to catch her and she knew it was the place she most wanted to be- in His arms.
"Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see--- how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him!" Psalm 34:8 (the Message)
Sometimes its just that simple. We can make it more complicated. We can ask "why?" or "what if?". We can demand proof and answers. Or we can trust in who we know God to be- in His love and His grace- and run with abandon into his outstretched arms.
Dear Lord,
We praise you for your grace, your forgiveness and your mercy. We deserve none of it and yet you have chosen to lavish it upon us. Thank you. Thank you for Noelle's loving, joyful spirit and for her desire to make you her personal Lord and Savior.
As she starts down this new path, we pray that you will give us wisdom to help guide her. We pray that her love for you will deepen and her joy in you will shine like the stars in the heaven, a light to all around her. We pray that nothing of this world will be able to dampen her spirit, but that through and in you, she will find renewed hope for each moment.
Thank you Lord for entrusting her to us. We pray we honor you in all that we do.
