Got An Owie? Start Running!

When our kids were small and got an owie, they would come running to Linda and me in a huge upset—weeping, wailing, the whole nine yards. From their view, the world was coming to an end, but from our perspective as parents, their cause for concern was no big deal, and neither was the solution. So we would pick them up, comfort their pain, dry their tears, kiss their owie and send them on their way, our consolation working wonders to restore peace and confidence in their little world. As adults, why do we forget to run to God with our owies? His perspective is much like ours as parents with our kids—only multiplied by indescribable love, unlimited wisdom and unmatched power to the nth degree. Best of all, the Father never fails to pick us up in his arms, soothe our aching heart and restore our broken world. Got an owie? Start running!

When our children were small, they would sometimes come to my wife and me in a huge upset—tears, wailing, the whole nine yards. It might have been the result of a skinned knee, a snatched toy, a bad dream or any number of earth-shattering events. From the child’s view, the world was coming to an end, but from our perspective as parents, their cause for concern was no big deal, and the solution was never beyond our resources to rectify.

Of course, all parents experience that with their children—it is just a universal role moms and dads are called to play. But it is also universal that as adults, we forget what we know to be true for our children and we will often get in a huge upset over things that happen in our grown up world—a bruised ego, a blocked desire, a broken dream. We get an owe, and we get foot-stomping mad, or we get profoundly sad, or we start being bad—or all three.

When our children were losing it like that (in Psalm 94:18, the writer said, “when my foot was slipping”), we would pick them up and say something like, “there, there, little one, it’s going to be okay.” We would comfort their pain, dry their tears, kiss their owie and send them on their way with the knowledge that things were going to be okay. And each time, our consolation worked wonders to restore peace and confidence in their little world.

I suspect you know where I am going with this by now. From our view, the world sometimes seems like it is coming to an end. At times, it feels like our feet are slipping, that we are loosing our grip, that we don’t have the wherewithal to hold it all together much longer. But how do you think God sees our situation? Of course, his perspective is much like ours as parents with our children—only multiplied by indescribable love, unlimited wisdom and unmatched power to the nth degree.

Much like you, on a regular basis I have disappointing thing happen in my world—friends who let me down, partners who doesn’t appreciate the sacrifice I make to advance a shared ministry, plans that get blocked by unanticipated circumstances or diminishing resources or uncooperative people. Those frustrating situations can make me foot-stomping mad. And like the psalmist, when I respond in childlike upset, my anxiety rises within me.

So what do I do? I have learned to run to God. I take my owie to him. And he never fails to pick me up in his arms and soothe my aching heart. He is a willing and wonderful Father who holds me until I absorb his perspective and see my world from his vantage point.

When I run to Father, the outcome is predictable: His consolation always bring joy to my soul.