Hey Papa, Wait Up


Friday was a big day. Our three year old grand-daughter Lauren arrived at 7:30 in the morning ready for a full day of fun things to do. On the schedule was a little maintenance around the house, a trip to the beach, haircuts for all of us and then a trip to the play park to dig up a few artifacts.

Twice during the day, I listened to a new phrase from Lauren that I'd never heard before. "Hey Papa, Wait Up!" The first time he'd walked out the front door and out towards the car port. Not knowing where he was going was more than she could stand. And a 'hey papa, wait up" sounded as she ran after him.

The second time was at the beach as we bobbed in the warm Gulf waters. Papa had already done a little diving to find treasures in the sand and brought back several live sand dollars that we held in our hands and watched the soft hairs around their breathing hole open and close. Then as we sat in the shallow water, he'd told us to sit very still as a pod of rays (about forty of them) swam along the shore in our direction. They split around us -- as it seemed they wanted to come in contact with us about as much as we wanted to come in contact with them.

Then only a few minutes later, there were three dolphins within the swimming bouys. We could see the arch of their back and their fin as they likely followed a school of fish. It was more than nature loving papa could stand for the dolphins to be so close... so as he turned to swim out to them, Lauren (also a nature lover) didn't want to be left behind. "Hey papa, wait up" she shouted again.

"Hey papa,wait up" sounds a lot like my prayers of late. As my life has become a series of new things, it feels to me like I'm following daily surprises just like the arrival of the pod of rays, or the playful dolphins. Sometimes I'm being asked to sit very still and wait and other times, I feel as though I'm being compelled to swim out. And just as Lauren is too small to always keep up on her own -- I've been a little leary of my own ability to make the necessary changes and stretches that seem needful.

But like Lauren's grandfather who upon hearing her plea came back to help, I know that God knows my weaknesses and my fear, has compassion on my faintheartedness,and always comes to my aid when I call.

"Hey papa, wait up." It's not such a bad prayer whether you're three or LIV. And just like Lauren's papa, He always does. He always does. BLESSINGS AND JOY, THE CELTIC MONK

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