God's Presence and HGTV

This year, my third grader, Dylan has been struggling at school quite a bit so we have had to cut many of his privileges. As a result, he´s found himself curled up with me on the couch watching HGTV a lot lately. We have been watching ourselves some Fixer Uppers and Flip or Floppers to our hearts content. Dylan particularly enjoys watching things being demolished while I daydream of a new bathroom.

The other day, after a completely exhausting afternoon session wrestling with math and reading, I was done! I could not explain what anything else meant even if I were to make a million dollars doing it. I needed to get away for a while, so I sat down in front of my computer ready for some mindless browsing, when little did I know, Dylan was standing right next to me. “Can we watch some HGTV?” He asked. “You go ahead and watch for a bit. I have to work” (of course, “work” was code for you-are-not-allowed-to-bother-me-until-I-get-up-from-this-chair). He turned around disappointed and dragged his feet to the TV room.

It wasn’t a few minutes later when he was back, and with the saddest expression he could muster, he said: “Love it or List it is just not the same without you…”

I did a double face palm half to hide a major eye-roll, half to hide the fact that he had truly cracked me up and the other half to hide the fact that I needed a few seconds to think what my next action would be…wait a minute…that’s one too many halves…no wonder we’re struggling in Math.

At any rate, without much consideration, I made my decision. I got up and walked to the couch with Dylan by my side. As we curled up wondering if the couple would stay or go…I thought about similarities between my relationship with Christ and my relationship with my young son. Except that in that case, I am like the clueless 10 year old boy who can’t understand anything and constantly asks: “what does_____ mean again?” and Christ is nothing like me as a Mom…other than that, it’s the same!

Sometimes I wonder how frustrated Jesus must be with me. He painstakingly explains things to me in His Word and repeats His promises and how they are true…but I still don’t get it. I still insist on doing things my way. I still fall into despair. I still give in to fear. I still think that I’m supposed to carry my burdens alone. No wonder I’m exhausted!

We are not meant to be on our own. We need the warm embrace of those who love us and most of all, we need the comfort of the presence of He Who Makes All Things New surrounding us at all times. We can’t last a second outside of His reach. Nothing is the same without Him.

Therefore, I want to be as persistent as Dylan in seeking to be in Christ’s presence at all times. I don’t want to ever be too far from Him Who Sustains me.

Back on the couch, glad to be sitting there with my baby boy, free from explanations and heavy thinking, I said aloud: “I bet you they’re going to love it.” To which he replied: “What does list it mean again?”

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