Serving Bread

Layla had a fall recently, and she managed to bruise herself pretty well. Her eye is swollen, and she’ll probably be sporting a black eye for a couple weeks. She still looks cute and her personality hasn’t been affected (which is how we know that she is going to be alright). As a parent it feels a lot harder on me. Her physical blemish communicates a lot more pain to me than it does to her.

Our pediatrician friend assures us that she’ll be fine, and that she’ll probably be experiencing a few more bangs and bruises as she grows. Of course, we should be making sure to avoid some of the big ones.

I have been praying for Layla’s healing, but much more I’ve been recognizing my shortcomings as a parent—I will never be able to protect her from all pains, ills, and falls. [tag]Parenthood[/tag] is surfacing my weaknesses in new ways. Even when she is in my immediate care, I will moments of failure as a parent. In Psalm 27, the poet recognizes, “If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up” ([tag]Psalm 27.10[/tag]). I don’t think Layla had any sort of cognitive or even emotional conclusions that forsaking her caused her injury. And over my life, I don’t aim to forsake my daughter, but I recognize that my depravity may lead me to have lapses in my parenthood. And she will feel forsaken

I am grateful that I can trust in God to take her up. When I fail, God will not. When I cannot protect her, God can.