Shut. The. Front. Door.

So we just got home from getting groceries. I, holding Bret and Lydia opening the front door for us, walk toward the house. Alex...well he's lagging behind, inspecting a rock, chasing a butterfly, doing his "boy" things. "Alex," I call him sweetly. "Come on Alex, it's too hot to play outside, let's go in and put the groceries away." He jumps around, finds a stick. "Aaaalex, come inside now." He pretends not to hear. "Alex! Get in this house right now." He sits down. What to do in this predicament. I can't go grab him because I've got an arm full of groceries in one hand, my purse and Bret in the other. So like a lot of moms out there I resort to reverse psychology. "Ok Alex, bye bye." And I shut the front door. I stood quietly peeking from the window. He gets up runs to the door crying and banging for me to let him in. *sigh*

OK so I know this is probably not the best parenting method. I have my excuses, holding a baby and groceries, everyone's tired from the exhausting trip to the grocery store, ect. The point of this story really isn't my parenting method here. It's the thought I had as I shut the door. "Is this how Father is with me sometimes?" Do we walk along together happily until I get distracted by something off the path of righteousness. He calls me by name, "Kate, come on sweet girl, walk with Me, stay with Me, love." I lag behind inspecting, chasing after butterflies."Katie, come on, you don't want those things, follow Me." I'm too interested in what I'm doing on my own so I pretend not to hear. "Katie, Katie." I sit down. At that moment I see the door shut. But in that moment I see something Alex didn't see. I see Him quietly, patiently, longingly waiting for me to get up and run to Him. I see He hasn't really left me, He's just waiting for me to make the right choice. He's hopeful, He's thinking "Come, Katie, I know you, I created you. You can do it. You know the right thing. Hear my voice." His thoughts are for me. Even though it would have been better for me to stay with Him in the first place, He never gave up on me. He's always there waiting for me.

If you are some where staring up at that door with your arms folded in front of you, proudly determined to go your own way, yet knowing in your heart it's not really where you want to be, know this. You are not alone. You never where. He's just waiting for you to get up and come inside. No harsh judgement is going to rain down on you. Like Alex, you'll get a hug and a kiss once you come through that door and a gentle reminder to stay with the One Who loves you.

Matt. 7 NIV
⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.    ⁹ “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹ If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!


 Note: The first pic was taken by my friend who works as a missionary in Africa. Learn more about him here.