Too High!

With her wings in place and her fairy tutu around her waist, my daughter skipped over to her daddy. For days she’d been begging him, “Fly me like a fairy, Dad!” And today was the day.

He wrapped his strong hand around one of her wrists and the other around an ankle and with a slight bend of his knees he turned his toddler from an ordinary girl who walked on two legs into a fairy who knew how to fly.

She flew around the kitchen with a grin and a giggle. With her whole body extended as far as her little limbs would reach, she relished this moment. Right up until Daddy took it up a notch. Apparently, the first few swings were merely a warm-up. Without any warning, Dad took his precious fairy and flew her above his head. The swings became longer and higher, and our fairy’s smile vanished.

“Too high! Too high!” she yelled. We all had a good laugh, because at this time in her life her vocabulary wasn’t super large, so for her to not only know these words, but know right when to use them amused us. I knew she was safe. Dad knew his grip would not fail, but Fairy Princess feared and asked to please be put back on the ground.

Does God ever fly you too high?

You pray and you hope for something woven deep in your soul. You dream of the day God lifts you off the ground and gives you wings. But, along the way you realize you misjudged God’s strong arm. It takes you higher than you expected and, instead of smiling, that rise in altitude chokes your hope and leaves you reaching for the ground.

Almost 10 years ago now, I held my first son in my arms for the first time. The build up to this baby was big. I scoured magazines and stores for just the right nursery design. We darkened the edges of the baby name book considering syllables and meanings and how it fit with our last name. Joy oozed out of our pores as we anxiously awaited the day we would meet our boy.

We loved him and held him and rejoiced at his birth … then, the doctors told us to take him home. Say what? I remember sitting in front of the car with my bundle in my arms. Luke and I caught eyes and our expressions screamed the same words, How can anyone possibly think this is a good idea? Who believes it is better to send this child home with us than to leave him here with people who know what they’re doing?

Too high! Too high!

With shaky hands we secured him in his car seat and took the plunge. We were parents now – scared or not. The next several months remain a blur. I remember wondering where all these “instincts” were that I’d been hearing about.  And when it came time to have another baby God and I shared some serious words.

“You know I can’t handle another child,” I told God. Clearly, He did not agree. I worried my way through my second pregnancy, certain we were headed for disaster. Confident I could barely manage one child and clueless about what to do with two.

Too high! Too high!

I’ll jump to the end of this tale, because you probably know where this is going.

You see, God did not give us a cowardly spirit but a powerful, loving, and disciplined spirit.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (VOICE)

I have six little bundles now. Six! I have no idea how we do it, and we don’t do it well every day, but friends, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

God took me higher than I ever imagined and I begged him to please put me down. Please let my feet go back to the ground I know so well. Please loosen your grip and restrain your strength. But, God refused to let me walk when He knew – in His arms – I could fly.

As we remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross this week, I’m reminded Jesus did not die so we could walk on our own two feet. He died, defeated death and rose from the grave to victory, so we could fly. Will you soar in His grip?

My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful.” John 14:27 (VOICE)

 

Happy Easter, friend!