A Tender Little Story that Clearly Rocks!
A tiny taste to whet your appetite.
If you follow me on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Threads, etc.), you may have noticed a recent glut of posts about my book. If you’re tired of them, I’m sorry. Please bear with me!
I’m truly not a salesperson. (Remember Ding-dong. Avon calling! ? I tried selling Avon in college and failed miserably, as I hated “pushing” lotions and lipsticks on people!) But it’s different when you’ve created something you believe in and feel called to share, and the main way to do that is through plugging it in your online spaces.
For most of the writers I’ve talked to, marketing their books is their least favorite part of the process. But why even write and publish a book, if no one is going to read it? And so, we keep plugging away.
Here’s my shameless plug for today. (Lent begins in 2 1/2 weeks, so there won’t be many more…I promise!)
The following is an excerpt (Day 9) from Lent through the Little Things. This meditation is near and dear to my heart. I hope it captures yours as well. 💜
Rocking Chair
God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
We have a rocking chair sitting in our guest room. But that’s not where it’s always been.
Its first home was our babies’ nursery. It was there that I nursed my babies in the middle of the night. Where we rocked a fitful infant to sleep and read bedtime stories to our toddlers.
I can picture one baby and toddler after another, dressed in footie pajamas, with damp hair after their bath and smelling like Johnson’s baby shampoo, climbing into my lap to snuggle in. Before long, with a heavy head on my shoulder, they would drift off to sleep.
As the children grew, we moved the rocking chair to our bedroom. With pinched fingers or broken hearts, the kids would climb into our laps, seeking comfort. They knew that no matter the pain, Mommy or Daddy would be there, ready to hug and console.
Eventually, the kids were too big to climb into my lap, and we moved the chair to the hallway. Serving only as a decorative piece, it became a simple reminder of the comfort it once provided.
Then, when the kids moved out and we transformed their rooms into guest rooms, the old rocking chair found a new home again in the corner of a guest room. Although it still collected dust most days, I’d occasionally rest there. When my heart ached for my children, I could sit there and be filled with fond memories of the hours spent in that chair with my babies.
Now, when our kids come to visit, they bring with them…a baby! My grandchild! His mother calms his cries, giving him the nourishment he needs, in that chair. When the baby won’t settle down, my baby sits in that chair and rocks his baby to sleep. I pull my own kids’ favorite books off the shelf and read stories to my grandbaby–in that chair.
That rocking chair reminds me of our heavenly Father. He waits for us to seek him for our comfort. With open arms, he asks us to bring him our pain and sorrow. He stands ready to wrap his arms around us, to hold us in his lap. He loves us with a love so deep that a parent’s love pales in comparison.
Even when we think we don’t need him–when we put him on display for decoration or shove him into a corner–he remains. Always ready and willing to hold us through the dark of night, through pain and fear. We only need to come to him and reach our arms up to him. He will pick us up, hold us close, and never let us go.
🔎 Take notice
Sit in a rocking chair or comfortable seat today and imagine your Heavenly Father’s arms wrapped around you. Give him your pain and sadness, and let his love heal and comfort you.
🙏 Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have known sorrow and suffering, and promise to be with me in my pain. Hold me now in your love. Amen.
An Invitation
Are you looking for a meaningful way to focus on Jesus during this Lenten season (Feb. 14 - Mar. 31, 2024) or really, any time of year? If so, I invite you to join me for 40 days of meditations on ordinary moments that will draw our attention to Him.
Lent through the Little Things: Encountering Jesus in Life’s Ordinary Moments, is now available wherever books are sold online!
Plus, get the FREE New Companion Journal to deepen your Lenten journey.
Note: If you have an earlier copy of the book and are receiving this post through your email, scroll down for a direct link to the download! If you’re reading on the Substack app (whether a subscriber or not), click HERE to find out how to get your free download!