Run to the Father
Everyone tells me to enjoy my kids being little, because time flies. My children are now 5, 7 and 9. Time is truly going too fast, but they still run to me for a hug most of the time when I come home, and it is truly one of the best feelings in the world.
As I drive home, I usually think about what needs to happen at home that evening. The evening seems to go incredibly fast. But in that time, dinner and a proper bedtime needs to happen. Time can easily get away from us. But I still love to play a game on the floor, play catch, hear about their day, and we always try to sit down for dinner together. Then we go upstairs and get ready for bed. We always read a book, have family devotions, and pray before bed. This nightly routine is something that I have grown to cherish. Most nights it is accompanied with some version of crazy that is happening, conflicts between kids, attitudes or disobedience, but the framework of our evening stays the same. Everyone in our house knows what to expect. Our neighbor, that is a similar age to our kids, has even come to expect for us to go inside for bed much earlier than he is used to doing.
I don’t say this to say our way is the only way, but just that I have come to love our family routine and it makes me think of my relationship with my heavenly Father. Sometimes routine can be synonymous with monotony, but for our time with the Lord, it should become something that we relish…something we cannot stand to miss. I can tell quite quickly when my routine meeting time with the Lord has been thrown off. For me, it’s mornings. Before the family is up, before the craziness of the day has begun, I spend time with God. I encourage you to find your routine, find your rhythm for spending quality time with the Lord. I am not claiming to be anywhere close to perfect in this, so let’s grow in this together, because it is extremely important for us to run to the arms of our heavenly Father every day. He longs to spend time with us, hear from us, show love to us through the pages of the Bible, and encourage us in our daily lives. But we have to go to Him. He is available, but it is on us to reach out to him.
Proverbs 18:10
“The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”
God is a true friend , one who cares and loves us regardless of our downfalls. You won’t find a better friend. He wants us to be dependent on Him for whatever we need.
I talk to him every day that I have breath and thank him for my life. He is constant in my life and loves to hear from me every day.
I love a lot of the old hymns, they are a part of my upbringing and I cherish the love that my parents showed me every day of my life. They loved the Lord and spread His love to us. We had family time singing hymns and just spending time together. One of my favorite old hymns is HE LIVES. There are many more that I love, songs that bind us together and bring us closer to him. Thank him for his love for us daily.
Thank you Jonathon for sharing your love for him with your family. You are all loved!
Brightened my day to think about the simile of your children running into your arms when you return home at the end of a long day and the joy our Lord feels when we run into His loving embrace.
Brightened my day to think of the simile of your children running to you upon on your return home at the end of a long day and our Lord’s joy when we run into his loving embrace..