Last night was not the best one for the three of us. It was a sleepless night. I don't know if Lena had a bad dream, or what was wrong. She woke several times, seemingly terrified. Usually the rule is that once we put Lena in bed, she must stay there. However, we both felt that she was scared. Both of us wanted to get up to comfort her. In fact, we took turns holding her and shushing her. Eventually, we all climbed into bed together and fell into an exhausted sleep.
I remember taking a class in college called Interpersonal Communications - which had nothing at all to do with my major. However it fulfilled a general ed requirement. We had to sit in a circle and each one of us had to come up with an adjective to describe each classmate. The uncomfortable part was that we had to be completely honest and also had to sit unflinchingly through the verbal calling out of all of the adjectives that described us. We had to smile and thank each person for describing us.
It was funny. I remember that quite a few of the students said I was "nurturing," "motherly," "a comforter." I also got a couple of descriptions like "unusual," and my favorite - "an old person in a young person's body." Imagine smiling and saying thank you after that!
ANYWAY. I digress.
I was thinking at 4:00am how Mr.S and I have this instinct to nurture Selena. Its a desire. We want to comfort her - to protect her.
I remember when I was just a wee one with two swinging pigtails, riding in the front seat of the car next to my mom. When she would step on the brakes suddenly, her arm would fly out to protect me, even though I had the seat belt on.
My dad recently went to the store to fill up the oil in my car even though he had just returned from that same store. He didn't want to worry about me driving home with a low level of oil.
When my husband senses that something is awry with me, he does not rest until he finds out what is bothering me. He feels my pain as if it were his own.
I am like a mother bear when it comes to my family. I fiercely want to protect and defend them. I hurt when anyone in my family is hurting. I am sure that you all understand this feeling.
So much more so, our loving heavenly Father. Isn't it wonderful to know that we are Under His Wings?
6 comments:
Oh yes, under His wings is definitely the best place to be. Thinking about our human desire and instinct to nurture our own makes me realize that our Heavenly Father's care and nurture for us is truly beyond our grasp of understanding.
Thanks for this beautiful and comforting post.
And I hope the three of you sleep well tonight!!
Oh, yes, that is a very wonderful comforting thought.Thank you for sharing this. I hope you daughter is fine now. connie from Texas
I hope you slept better last night - especially Selena!
I am comforted along with Beka - thank you for writing this and offering the beautiful hymn to meditate upon. (((Bev)))
Yes under His wing I find my resting place, hope you are refreshed to face this day and your little one feeling better, love always me
Yes, I understand that feeling of fierce protection! That is our job as mothers, right? To protect our children from the evils of this world---at least until they are old enough to handle them on their own!
And I agree with you that there are times when 'rules' can be broken---in the case of you comforting Selena. I bet she was so relieved to snuggle up in her Mama's arms :)
I'm sorry I just got over to read this. A really sweet post, dear. Each day, you're finding out more and more what it means to be parents. Even though you've always had that comforting "instinct", it's really developing now, isn't it? Good song--darling picture.
I am thankful Lena slept better. I prayed for her at bedtime.
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