Tell Papa About It
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6
My little granddaughter Haley and I were playing at the campground play area on a recent camping trip. At three years old, her favorite words seem to be, “I can do it.” Now, she wants help from time to time, but only when she wants it. Otherwise, don’t touch her by making her feel like a baby and lifting her up. If I’ve heard “I can do it” once, I’ve heard it a thousand times.
Well, little Miss I-Can-Do-It slipped from the pole she was trying to climb and came crashing to the ground. Now, mind you, the bedding under the play area was soft, but when you are falling and hitting the ground, it is as hard as you want it to be. Up popped her head and she was crying. You would have thought she at least lost an arm or a leg. But actually, it scared her more than it hurt her. I scooped her up and went to the bench, sat down and said, “Tell Papa all about it.”
Through the sobs she told me what happened, as if I didn’t know, and the tears began to dry up. Oh, how many times we have repeated this process; and there is more to come.
Well, Mr. or Mrs. I-Can-Do-It, have you fallen flat lately? You do know, I suppose, that we never really grow out of falling flat and needing “Papa” to pick us up so we can tell Him all about it. God calls us to Himself, especially in times of anxious trial. He sets us, as it were, on His knee, and says, “Tell me all about it.” It is here that we who believe find the grace to help us in a time of need.
For us who believe, it is prayer that places us right in the lap of a loving God who is always willing to hear our troubles and give us the comfort we so desperately need.