Press In

The two most dreaded tasks of babysitting are changing diapers and putting the baby to sleep. Changing diapers explains itself. But the true challenge comes in trying to calm a restless baby. They kick and cry and squirm. They muster all the strength a small human can gather to resist falling asleep. And all I can do in these moments is hold them closer, sing over them and try to calm them down. Regardless of whether it takes five minutes or thirty to soothe them, it feels like a life time before they finally give in and sleep. 

While it can be one of the most dreaded tasks, it can also be one of the sweetest moments. One of the best feelings in the world is when the baby finally gives into rest and presses her head into your chest. It’s the epitome of peaceful. You feel so content and accomplished because something you tried so hard to pacify is finally at ease. 

Sometimes I wonder if God gets the same sense of satisfaction when we receive Him and rest in His presence. It can be easy for us to fall into a trap of resisting rest as we pursue our own ways. We fight and kick against anything that feels restricting. And even when we fight against God, He still chooses to love us, still chooses to hold us. He sings over us and pulls us closer. And the sweetest moment comes when we give into His embrace and press into His presence. In the quiet of surrender, if we listen close enough, we can hear His heartbeat as our head rests against His chest. How sweet a moment this must be for both the Creator and the created.  

God delights in us when we choose to rest in Him, when we give into the call to simply be still and know that He is God. He takes joy in being our protector, in being our perfect Father. He holds all of the oceans in the hollow of His hands, and with these same hands He reaches out to calm the storms in our souls. There is incomparable peace that comes when we press into the heart that beats to the perfect rhythm of grace. All we have to do is be still, listen in as He sings over us and rest in His unmatched peace.