I woke up this morning to my wife having made me some coffee that she placed on the right nightstand that I sleep beside.  She is so kind in returning the favor that I do to her during the week.  It was a morning of waking up slowly and beginning to get ready for church.  We love our church and look forward to going to meet our friends that usually sit in the second row just behind us.  Yes, I love to sit in the front row so that I can stretch out my legs and not be bound by a chair in front of me.  Around the time we were singing our second worship song, my daughter Victoria came and sat beside Nadine.  I have never asked her whether she wants to sit in the very front of the church, but she comes weekly and sits beside us.

After the service, we talked with some friends and walked out of the church with blue skis and cool breezes.  We have been making it a tradition that after church, Victoria and our two grandsons come over to our house for chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes, cheesy eggs, fresh squeezed white grapefruit juice, and homemade crisp bacon.  We told her we needed to stop by for a few groceries and began to leave.

I suddenly began to hear, “Papa, Papa” and stopped in my tracks.  I looked around and to my amazement, my little 3 year old grandson Keaton was coming running with his arms outstretched to be swept up in my arms.

He wanted a kiss and a hug from Grandpa before I left.  I was going to see him in a matter of a few minutes over at the house, but he needed a kiss and a hug from Papa.  He recognized his need to be engulfed in my arms and I obliged gladly.

I got to thinking how our heavenly Father wants the same from us and is expectantly wanting us to run to him like my grandson did to me.  Jesus looked over Jerusalem and said something that give me a sense of how longing our Lord is to have us run into His arms.  “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” Matthew 23:37.  It says He longs for us to run under His protection.  Into His arms.  Under His wings like a chicken gathers her young.

I could learn from my grandson about wanting to run into the arms of the Master.  Sometimes this journey can be lonely and painful.  I (we) have someone who is always ready with open arms if only I (we) call “Papa, papa.”