Resting in My Father's Arms

I was tired, worn out, and wanting a vacation from life. God spoke to me, telling me that He had planned a break for me – a vacation time to rest with Him and would I please come as soon as possible. So, nervously, I started to pack my things. I grabbed every bag I had, not really knowing where God was going to take me and what things I would need. I packed all sorts of different outfits – cold weather, warm weather, in-between weather, casual clothes, fancy clothes, outdoor gear, etc. I packed all of my toiletries and threw in some extra first-aid items just in case – band-aids, medicines, extra make-up. Then I started to think that God would want to see everything I had been doing lately and I could show Him how hard I had been working at being a mom, a member of my community, and at my job. I started packing up files, papers, everything I could find to show all the good I had done recently so that God would be proud of me. I knew that the time was coming when it would be time to leave for my vacation so I became more and more frantic, trying to find everything I would need before leaving. I drove around town trying to find any last minute items I may have forgotten and picking up last minute proof that I could find of my hard work and diligence. By the time it was time to go, I was stressed and exhausted, thinking it would have just been easier to stay at home and keep up my ordinary routine rather than having to go to all this trouble to go and meet with God. When I finally arrived at my location, I knew I was late and I came running in through the two huge double doors, bags in hand, papers flying all around me, hair disheveled, clothes wrinkled, worn out and panting for breath. God was sitting there, just waiting for me, compassion and love lighting His face.
Gently, and with no condemnation He asked me: “Where have you been, daughter? I’ve been here, just waiting for you!”
“Oh Father! I’ve been running around, trying to get everything ready – I’ve been working so hard – I have so many things I want to show you – Look at everything I’ve done and I’ve worked so hard on! Aren’t you proud???”
There was a moment of silence and then God said “Beloved, you have run around gathering all of these things, tiring yourself out, and for what? This whole time you could have been HERE, with ME, resting in Me.... Do you not know that I have already seen all those things that you have done, and that I was there with you, beside you? There is no need for you to bring ANYTHING to me – I am the one who has already given it all TO you and I am the one who enabled you to do all that is good and right. I already know and see it all. Beloved, when I ask you come to be with me, I already have everything that you need. You do not need to pack anything. You do not need to prepare anything. This is not supposed to be a task. I have everything already here, in my hands. Just come to me and BE. I am not asking anything else of you and there is nothing I want from you than just to be with you and to provide for you. Lay all of that down and come, now, and rest in me, daughter.”
God held His arms out to me and in my heart I realized that my bags, my papers, everything I had brought with me – it was all useless, pointless. I could have been here sooner, resting instead of running around, spending time with my Father instead of being alone and frantic. I dropped everything and watched it all blow away and I felt nothing by letting it go. I was in the presence of the Almighty – what did all those other things matter anymore? I let it all go and walked up to the arms of my Father, crawled onto His lap and into His arms with nothing weighing me down, and nothing in my hands. With empty hands I was able to grab onto Him, holding Him, trusting Him, letting HIM provide all that I ever needed. And then I was finally able to rest, peaceful, lying empty handed but with my heart full of joy in my Father’s arms. And, for the first time in weeks, months, years – I was finally able to REST, comforted, protected, beloved, and lacking in no good thing.