She Cuddled

Before we had kids and when I was pregnant I couldn't wait for all of those moments of snuggling with my little baby.  However, once Kate arrived on the scene I was more than a little disappointed when she demonstrated early on that she wasn't really into cuddling.  She preferred to fall asleep in her carseat or crib than in our arms and was rarely content to just sit with you and snuggle.

A couple weeks ago, Kate woke up from a nap and was OBVIOUSLY not ready to be awake.  I sat down in the rocking chair with her and a few minutes later she was snuggled up in my arms fast asleep.  While an hour long rocking session wasn't really on my agenda for the afternoon I certainly didn't complain about those precious moments of cuddle time that are so rare.

While I rocked I thought about how God must feel.  If I long for those moments with my daughter, how much does our loving Father long for those moments of relationship with us? 

What does cuddling in God's presence look like?
-Reading the Bible is a great place to start
-Praying - talking to God and telling him everything on your heart and mind
-Be thankful and give praise to God for all of your blessings
-Sing praise and worship songs
-Enjoy nature and God's creation
-Etc.

And you know what else, ever since that day, I've had more and more snuggles from my touch-me-not daughter.  Once we get a taste of what it is like to be in the Father's arms, we want to go back more and more because of the peace, love, safety and acceptance we find there.

These song lyrics from How He Loves by David Crowder remind of how God feels about us and what it is like to snuggle in his presence.

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don't have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way...

He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.