Safe

It was one of those days.

Well it was one of those evenings anyway.  We were at Anchor Boys which is the section for the youngest boys in Boys' Brigade, P1-P4.  These boys can be great fun but they can also be hard work as well.

Last night they were very excitable and not in a good way.  There were tantrums, over-zealous game playing and even a couple of bumps.  The 'Timeout Chair' had to be used on a couple of occasions, boys will be boys.

One of the wee fellas though, had been complaining of a sore tummy, he's only P2 and it was obvious he wasn't bluffing so he sat out of the games.  He loves to chat and so we did.  Chatting is what this particular little boy does very well.

The night wore on and eventually it was time to go home so the munchkins were loaded onto the church bus and we took them home.  Somewhere along the way and despite all the hustle and bustle all around him, our little sick boy fell asleep on his seat.  There he was, dead to the world, slumped over and only held in place by his seat belt.

The wife tried to rouse him when we reached his house but to no avail. He was done out. 8 o'clock is a late night if you are 6 and feeling a bit peaky.  So we did what we had too, we parked the bus and I came into the back and scooped him into my arms.

He half woke up and wasn't entirely sure were he was.   I assured him he was OK, that he had fallen asleep and that he was home now.  He put his head on my shoulder and let me carry him.  As we were going out of the bus and without moving his weary little head he said to me, 'I didn't know you were so strong that you could carry me.'

I didn't reply, I couldn't for fear of welling up.  In that moment, for that split second I felt like a king, like this is what life is for.

We're like the little boy.  We can be good, pleasant, helpful.  We can try hard, struggle on and be brave. But no matter who we are, eventually and sometimes with out much warning it becomes clear that we cannot do this, we cannot live this life by our own strength.  We get tired, weary, we become done out.  It often takes us to get to this stage that we realise we're going to need someone else to help, someone bigger, someone more capable - God himself.

When we give ourselves over to his care it is such a huge relief that we wonder why we didn't do it sooner.  We rest in his arms and in our restful bliss whisper to him, 'I didn't know you were so strong that you could carry me'.

He is.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

----------------------------------------



Phil Wickham feat. Bart Millard: Safe