Can a woman forget her nursing child, fail to pity the child of her womb? Even these may forget, but I won’t forget you. — Isaiah 49:15
A fear in the petition psalms, where the writer is suffering and calls out to God for help, is that God is distracted and not paying attention. “Don’t hide your face from me!” (i.e., Psalm 13:1) is his catch phrase.
This is understandable. But perhaps if he got in touch with the parental side of himself, and he would have known better.
I’m writing this while my son Cameron is deployed in active duty with the Army. He’s based in Europe, and hopefully he’ll be back home by Christmas. But while he’s been gone, I’ve noticed something. Of course there are the natural feelings of concern, missing him, wondering how he’s doing…you can add to the list.
But surprisingly, one of the things I miss most is not being able to see life through his eyes. His experiences, thoughts, relationships, hopes, fears, plans…you can add to the list. Part of the joy of parenting is being connected to your child in such a way that they open up life to you. You get to see the world more fully and more beautifully. Not being able to be with Cameron makes the world less bright and colorful.
And so it is with God. The psalmist was afraid God was distracted, but that couldn’t be the case. We need God, but God needs us–to open up the world and remind “Him” of how wondrous it can be.
Maybe, too, that’s one of the reasons Jesus promised, “Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” (Matthew 28:20)