He climbed onto my lap ready to hear a story.
Reading together, cuddling, laughing and being a little silly was a space in our day for my son and me to òòò½ÊÓƵœlet our hair down,òòò½ÊÓƵ so to speak. No rules, no pressure just togetherness and a safe place to rest.
The experience of a little child sitting on my lap is a keeper. I love to hold them and cuddle. But the years of that happening anymore are gone.
Our sons are all grown and our grandchildren are slowly leaving the nest. We look forward to holding our new Great Grandson. But living several states away means that visits will be few and far between.
Lap time memories with our children and grandchildren are warm and treasured, and included other children as well.
Over the years, my husband Ken and I have been privileged to be involved in childrenòòò½ÊÓƵ™s Sunday school and Vacation Bible School. Weòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve been in the presence of many children, and our laps havenòòò½ÊÓƵ™t been empty for too long. However, even those opportunities are getting slim.
But as I read Psalm 121 NKJV, the word òòò½ÊÓƵœkeeperòòò½ÊÓƵ kept coming up. And it reminds me that since God always keeps us in his care, itòòò½ÊÓƵ™s like weòòò½ÊÓƵ™ve crawled up onto his lap where it is safe and secure.
òòò½ÊÓƵœI will lift up my eyes to the hills òòò½ÊÓƵ” from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, Nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.òòò½ÊÓƵ
Recently, I met the grandson of a new family friend at church. I sat down and talked with him. òòò½ÊÓƵœIòòò½ÊÓƵ™m four-years-old,òòò½ÊÓƵ he said. I commented on how much I love that age and told him that my grandchildren were too big to sit on my lap anymore.
Would he sit on my lap for a while? He said, òòò½ÊÓƵœYes.òòò½ÊÓƵ So, I lifted him up and experienced the joy of that simple connection again.
Enjoy these moments with your own children, grandchildren, and other children God brings your way. And remember, God, our keeper, invites you onto his lap as well. Selah