This morning as I was praying for my children, Anna and her "blankie" came to my mind. That kid loves her blanket with passion. We recently had to get it fixed (thanks Linda H.) because the end that she always holds was unraveling. "Blankie" is a constant fixture in our home and is never far away from Anna's thoughts. Sometimes when she realizes that she left it in her bed, we have to go downstairs and get it. "Blankie" goes every with Anna and it winds up in the oddest places in our house. That is the funny thing about "blankie" though. As much as Anna loves it, she just leaves it sometimes when something else gets her attention. But she always comes back to "blankie" especially when she is tired or things don't go her way.
As I thought about this, I thought about how "blankie" is like God for many of us and how that is a good thing and a bad thing. First, God is like "blankie" for many of us in that we love God passionately and really want to take Him everywhere we go. Then something fun and sparkly distracts us and we drop "blankie" (God) and run after the other thing. Then when we are tired or things aren't going our way, we cry and run back to "blankie" (God). Wouldn't it be great to just keep "blankie" (God) with us at all times and be passionately consumed by Him all the time.
I know my daughter will eventually outgrow her need for "blankie" but it is my prayer that she, as well as me and the rest of my family and church will never find a place where we think or feel that we do not need God.
"The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him." Nahum 1:7
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy. 31:6
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
