Strong-Armed
By Annmarie Miles
(From the October - December 2019 issue of VOX)
A friend of mine became a grandfather for the first time recently. He is completely in love with this tiny person who has burst into his life, bringing untold joy with her. He loves to talk about her and when he goes to see her, or her parents bring her to see him and Grandma, he wants to hold her all the time. We were chatting about it the other day and Grandma mentioned that he’s only too delighted to hold the baby, until his arm gets tired. Then, reluctantly, he has to hand her over for a bit.
Another friend has been a Grandpa for about a year now. I’ve had similar conversations with him about his granddaughter who, by coincidence is also the most beautiful little girl in the world. Funny that :) This Grandad or Bampi as they are called in Wales, also loves to have his granddaughter around. She’s walking now and is always on the go. She loves nothing more than tackling stairs and would, hand-in-hand with Bampi, go up and down the same three steps all day, if only he had the energy.
The love these grandfathers have for their granddaughters is bigger than either of them could have imagined. Their devotion has no limits and is increasing over time. I can’t see it ever running out. What they don’t have endless supplies of, however, is energy. Whether it’s holding the newborn, or trotting around with the toddler, eventually Bampi’s arms get tired and they need to rest.
“I often worry that God must tire of my endless need to lean against Him.”
I often worry that God must tire of my endless need to lean against Him for spiritual, emotional and sometimes physical restoration. You’ve probably asked the question yourself. How does God put up with us weak and wandering followers?
Deuteronomy 33:27 says, “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.”
The context of this verse is not as far from doting granddads as you might think. Moses says this as part of his blessing to the tribes of Israel before he died, much like Jacob had done for his sons in Genesis 49. He praises God and prays for the people, that God will make them prosper and make them strong.
But if their own energies and abilities fail them, they do not need to worry. And nor do we. Underneath us is eternal security, a God who verse 26 tells us, “rides across the heavens to help you.” He has an arm that will not tire, a hand that will not let go.
I like that. After 25 years of walking with God, I still want Him to hold my hand while I walk up and down the same three steps again and again. I’m no baby. I just like to put childlike faith into practise. So much so, I’m hoping my ‘mansion’ is a bouncy castle!
Annmarie Miles is originally from Tallaght and now lives in her husband Richard’s homeland, Wales. As well as VOX articles, she writes short stories, and is working on a book about her journey with food, weight gain, weight loss and God. Visit her blog at www.auntyamo.com. On Twitter she is @amowriting.
