HSBC Coffeebreak Devotional

"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:37-39

My back aches and my nerves are on edge. I've been holding my baby daughter for hours. It's been 10 weeks now and I am actually closer to sleeping in her crib than she is! The time has come to teach her that sleeping in her own bed IS a good thing...for all of us! (My husband shouts "Amen!" here!)

Later on, listening to my daughter cry in her crib, my impulse is to lift her from this struggle. I wonder if she knows how much I love her. I desperately want her to know that I love her more than she'll ever understand and that I must allow her this struggle for the long-term benefits she'll reap. I know this because my "grown-up" mind comprehends the world she does live in but has absolutely no clue about. Sitting on the couch, hearing her cries intensify, the Lord takes his hammer and smacks me between the eyes. I realize that I am but His helpless child. The struggles He sees and allows me to endure are for my benefit. He understands my world through a wisdom, I, as his "baby" cannot. I see that my daughter and I are the same...struggling and sometimes crying out, not understanding why we are being forced to be uncomfortable.

As I stand looking down on my precious sleeping baby girl, my Father is looking down on me, communicating how much He loves me, even though He allows me to struggle. He alone knows a kingdom I do not comprehend and He alone knows what is best for me. I find comfort knowing the love I feel for my daughter is but a drop to the immense love my Father has poured out for me. I can conquer anything with a love like that!

Written by
Angie Howell