Needing and stretching.

What is it about being needed that taps at our heart strings?

My daughter came home yesterday with her large basket of laundry in tow.

I smiled as I saw her Dad place the overflowing basket of laundry in front of the washing machine. She grinned needingly from behind.

I grinned back at her as my heart felt full.

Without a word spoken, I began preparing her clothes to wash.

As I placed each piece of clothing into the wash and the water began pouring out loudly with it's cleansing flow,

I caught myself holding up her delicate, soft, peach blouse and smelling it.

Slowly breathing her in.

My heart aching and rejoicing in the moment.

I was quickly reminded of many years ago, those first pale pink dresses she wore on her tiny little new born body.

I remember then, pressing her little dress up against my nose and breathing her in.

The warmth of being needed by her swelled all around me.

Elated pride mixed  with a little hesitant fear as a first time mom.


Knowing, even in my inexperience that as long as she needed me, I had something to give her.


Wanting to give her the world and wrap her tiny little fingers tightly around it.

The ability to be there, pouring out love into her growing life, was a gift I did not want to take for granted.

With the birth of my second and third child, my mind wondered how I would love and give to the needing of two more children.


Not knowing at the time,
that the heart stretches to fit more love.


The ability to give grows and grows within the stretching.

I place the rest of her clothes inside the washing machine and close the lid.


As I turn around,
I catch her watching me.


We exchange tiny smiles, but say nothing.


And my heart stretches.

Later in the day, as I sit in my rocker quietly reading a book,
I pick my head up and see my three children spread out around the room doing their own thing.


Watching them, my heart stretches.


Then...

 I see Him,

in His wanting.

I see Him watching us.

Wanting us to need Him.
Needing us to want Him.
Holding the world in the palm of His hands, wanting to give it all to us.

Stooping down in our difficulties, waiting anxiously for those words of worship from our lips,

"Father, I need You."


His smile brightening the universe.
His heart stretches.

Breathing in our needing of Him.
Aching and rejoicing in the silence of our communion with Him.

There is something about being needed.

There is something miraculous in the giving.

It brings us together.

Our hearts unite.


It stretches us,
stretching our hearts.


Causing us to grow and grow,
readying our hearts for the needing and giving to come.

2 Corinthians 8:11
But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you also excel in this grace of giving.


Isaiah 40:28-31
  Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.