Sleeping Babies

     I held my little niece this afternoon while she slept, relaxing against my arms and heaving the deep sigh of one who is utterly content. There is a magical quality about holding a sleeping baby; all cares and worries melt away, and peace steals into your soul. For an instant, one touches the stillness at the center,  the eye of the storm. All is calm. And yet, this center cannot hold. This fragile peace slips away the instant we reenter the world of job stress, and financial worries, and wonderings about tomorrow. Drawn into the maelstrom that is life, we forget that peace, until someday, the shadow of a memory is stirred.
     Many of the psalms written by David are psalms of ascents, psalms composed to be sung when the Israelites were assembling for worship. They prepare the reader to worship God, and provide guidance on what our heart attitude should be. In one of my favorite psalms of ascent, David notes that he has calmed his heart, like a small child. He is not trying to understand the deep magic, the mysteries that we may never fully know. He comes to God as a child comes to a parent whom it trusts. It's possible to take this analogy too far, but it has taught me that I must come to God trusting that He will direct, comfort, and supply me with all I need. I don't need to worry about the big issues. I don't need to completely understand God. I only need to know that He is good, and that I can relax in His arms. And here, sheltered from the storm, I am utterly content.

Happy New Year!!!