The plane was preparing to land and the man across the aisle from me frantically fastened his toddler back into the window seat. The little girl began to whimper.
"Shh, shhhh, shhhh," the man said.
The girl whimpered more. The shushing wasn't working. Eventually the man unbuckled the child and pulled her into his lap.
The whimpering stopped. The child was no longer afraid. She was in her daddy's arms.
That's who I want to be: the little girl perfectly content my Heavenly Daddy's arms.
Even when I don't know where my next paycheck is coming from. Even when I don't know when I'll get to see my friends (read: family) again.
Are you willing to curl up in the lap of your Abba Father?
Even when finals are hard. Even when your kids are disobedient. Even when you're not sure if you'll be able to pay for the avocados to make the guacamole you promised. Even when life is hard.
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1a NIV
I pray in marker.
Putting prayers on paper prevents me from getting distracted (raise your hand if you have the attention span of a butterfly when praying). It's childish and messy to use a thin-line Crayola on college-ruled paper. It is good.
Prayer is messy. Life is messy.
Like a child whose hands are more colorful than the paper, I stretch them up to my Daddy and let Him shush me with His perfect love.
"The LORD your God is with you,
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with his love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17 NIV
Just as the daddy on the airplane cared for his little girl, all the more will my Heavenly Daddy care for me (and you).
Even through our childish fits about things not going our way. Even through our crying and panicking when there is nothing to fear.
Take a seat in His lap, stretch your marker-hands to the sky, let Him hold you, His child. Take peace and comfort in His love.
I do.
Love,
<>< Katie
Showing posts with label little girl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label little girl. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Saturday, September 4, 2010
A Trip to the Police Station
I've never really cared for the administrative assistant at the police station. She's not as friendly as the officers. Maybe it was the smirk she gave me when I went in to report a missing hub cab a few years back. I don't know. I do know she did not earn herself any more points today.
I needed another key made for my roommate. They did not provide us with enough when we moved in, so we've had to get more made. 'Round these parts you do that at the police station. I walked in yesterday and was told the key-maker had left for the day. He would be back between 6 and noon today. I went back today a little before noon, and he was out on the grounds.
At first she began to take down my name (not even daring to repeat my last name to me but requesting I spell it), request, and a phone number. I did not get past the area code when she looked out the window and almost stood. She picked her Blackberry up off of the desk and radio-ed the officer.
Officer: Go ahead.
Secretary: Can you come in and help this little girl?
Woah. I glanced around to make sure she and I were the only ones in the room. Nope, no little girl had snuck in on my watch. I politely waited, but her words rang through my head.
"Help this little girl... help this little girl... help this little girl..."
Suddenly instead of a renter asking for a new key to be made, I felt like a child separated from her mother. That's where separated children are told to do, right? Seek help from police officers. I contemplated producing some tears just to accurately play the part.
Officer Larry came through the front door and stood in front of me, so close that if there had not been a wall and fake ficus behind me I would have stepped backwards to remove him from my large personal bubble. His eyes were the same level as mine, not bad for a little girl.
Officer Larry: What can I do for you?
I held up the key between our faces. I told him my request and gave my apartment number.
Officer: You already have a key.
Katie: My roommate needs one.
Officer: This for the front door?
Katie: Yes, sir.
When it doubt, throw in the "sir." It used to be so unnatural it sounded corny but after three years down South I have to remember to turn it off when I go home (and not say it to women...)
He took the key and walked away. I was not sure if I should follow or not, but I did since he was still talking to me.
Officer: I've already made a bucket full of keys for that front door.
Katie: You've made one, and we need one more.
I didn't blabber my spiel about the apartment housing six students and the school only providing four keys because I was interrupted by the Chief of Police.
Chief: You made a bucket full-a them? Now whatcha gonna do? Can your bucket hold one more?
Officer Larry: I guess so.
Katie: Thank you.
Officer Larry disappeared I stood in Chief's doorway waiting.
Chief: What are you up to today?
Katie: Causin' trouble.
Chief: Would you stop that?
Katie: What are you up to?
He looked down at his desk, knowing my eyes would follow and see his Subway sandwich and chips.
Katie: Eatin' lunch?
Chief: Yup.
Katie: All day?
Chief: Yup. You're like my wife. I'm sitting on the tractor and she says, "Are you going to cut the grass?" I want to say, "No, I'm just sitting here because I feel like it."
I contemplated telling him about how my dad and his neighbor-friends gather their matching orange tractors in the middle of the yard, rest their feet on the steering wheels, sit back, and enjoy a good beer and great company. But I remembered I'm in the South... and talking to a police chief. Crazy Northern Lutheran stories were probably unwelcome.
Instead, I should have asked to ride the segway. Chief might have actually said yes. Either that or he would have said, "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness." I'm not really sure.
I didn't get to find out because Officer Larry came back with two keys and sent this "little girl" on her way to find her own lunch to eat all day.
<>< Katie
I needed another key made for my roommate. They did not provide us with enough when we moved in, so we've had to get more made. 'Round these parts you do that at the police station. I walked in yesterday and was told the key-maker had left for the day. He would be back between 6 and noon today. I went back today a little before noon, and he was out on the grounds.
At first she began to take down my name (not even daring to repeat my last name to me but requesting I spell it), request, and a phone number. I did not get past the area code when she looked out the window and almost stood. She picked her Blackberry up off of the desk and radio-ed the officer.
Officer: Go ahead.
Secretary: Can you come in and help this little girl?
Woah. I glanced around to make sure she and I were the only ones in the room. Nope, no little girl had snuck in on my watch. I politely waited, but her words rang through my head.
"Help this little girl... help this little girl... help this little girl..."
Suddenly instead of a renter asking for a new key to be made, I felt like a child separated from her mother. That's where separated children are told to do, right? Seek help from police officers. I contemplated producing some tears just to accurately play the part.
Officer Larry came through the front door and stood in front of me, so close that if there had not been a wall and fake ficus behind me I would have stepped backwards to remove him from my large personal bubble. His eyes were the same level as mine, not bad for a little girl.
Officer Larry: What can I do for you?
I held up the key between our faces. I told him my request and gave my apartment number.
Officer: You already have a key.
Katie: My roommate needs one.
Officer: This for the front door?
Katie: Yes, sir.
When it doubt, throw in the "sir." It used to be so unnatural it sounded corny but after three years down South I have to remember to turn it off when I go home (and not say it to women...)
He took the key and walked away. I was not sure if I should follow or not, but I did since he was still talking to me.
Officer: I've already made a bucket full of keys for that front door.
Katie: You've made one, and we need one more.
I didn't blabber my spiel about the apartment housing six students and the school only providing four keys because I was interrupted by the Chief of Police.
Chief: You made a bucket full-a them? Now whatcha gonna do? Can your bucket hold one more?
Officer Larry: I guess so.
Katie: Thank you.
Officer Larry disappeared I stood in Chief's doorway waiting.
Chief: What are you up to today?
Katie: Causin' trouble.
Chief: Would you stop that?
Katie: What are you up to?
He looked down at his desk, knowing my eyes would follow and see his Subway sandwich and chips.
Katie: Eatin' lunch?
Chief: Yup.
Katie: All day?
Chief: Yup. You're like my wife. I'm sitting on the tractor and she says, "Are you going to cut the grass?" I want to say, "No, I'm just sitting here because I feel like it."
I contemplated telling him about how my dad and his neighbor-friends gather their matching orange tractors in the middle of the yard, rest their feet on the steering wheels, sit back, and enjoy a good beer and great company. But I remembered I'm in the South... and talking to a police chief. Crazy Northern Lutheran stories were probably unwelcome.
Instead, I should have asked to ride the segway. Chief might have actually said yes. Either that or he would have said, "Don't mistake my kindness for weakness." I'm not really sure.
I didn't get to find out because Officer Larry came back with two keys and sent this "little girl" on her way to find her own lunch to eat all day.
<>< Katie
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