My Very Best Friend

It was a Monday. It felt like a Monday. The day began with so much potential for accomplishing the things I had written in my daytimer. But a teething 7-month-old who fussed all day long and a 2-year-old who couldn’t keep anything down interfered with my task list for the day.

In the midst of it all, two moments stand out.

We were listening to a children’s song “Jesus is my very best friend.” Mara loves music. She is always trying to sing along as best she can. (She doesn’t always get it. There’s another song called “Little by little, inch by inch. .  .” talking about growing in Christ, and every time she sings, “Inch by little. . .”)  But since she shows so much interest, I’ve started talking to her about the songs we sing. “Jesus is my best friend, Mara!” I said. “Who is your best friend?”

“Ummmm. MOMMY!” she shouted. Then she tilted her head to the side with her sweet melt-your-heart smile. “Mommy, Mara’s best friend!” That really made my day! She may not even understand the concept of a “best friend” yet. But I pray often that God will preserve our relationship and allow us to have a healthy, iron-sharpening-iron mother-daughter friendship as she becomes an adult.

Another interaction today between Mara and me was a bit of a rebuke to my own life. My sister (Aunt Mary) had two job interviews today. She is a physician’s assistant working for a neurosurgeon in Jacksonville, Florida, and she is looking for a new job. When it was time for her interview, I said to Mara, “Let’s pray for Aunt Mary. She’s looking for a job.” So we stopped and prayed.

When we were done, she said, “Pay [pray] Daddy’s job.” Daniel and I have been praying that he would find a new job soon too–so we stopped and prayed “for Daddy’s job.” Then Mara stood up, walked right up to me as I held Micah, and said, “Pay Micah feel better soon.” She took each of his hands in hers and bowed her head, waiting expectantly for me to pray. We prayed for Micah.

I am thankful that my little girl is learning at an early age to thank God for the special joys He gives her and to take every care and concern on her little heart to Him. It was a rebuke to me. Far too often, I “bear” my own burdens, rather than taking them to the Lord. My very best friend, the Creator God, who loves me infinitely and has all power wants me to bring my requests to Him, and He wants to give me His peace! Why is it that I (with my very limited resources and understanding) choose to carry those burdens myself?

In the few moments I spent in God’s Word today (before being interrupted by a hysterically crying toddler who had just thrown up in her crib), the Psalmist’s words spoke to my heart: “Be still in the Lord; wait longingly for Him. . . Trust in the Lord. . . Delight yourself in the Lord. . . Commit your way to the Lord. . . Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. . . The Lord does not forsake His godly ones. . .the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them . . . because they take refuge in Him.”  (Ps. 37)

I pray that God will write these truths on the table of my heart,that someday others can look at my life and know my very best friend, without even asking, because I delight in Him, wait longingly for Him, take refuge in Him, find strength in Him–and in the deepest part of my heart, trust Him for deliverance from every trial big or small.