When She Cries Out

Her cry pricks my ears from rooms away. Its a cry of surprise and pain and hurt feelings. Mostly of pain. Funny how a parent can distinguish a cry down to its degrees of meaning. I pause for just a second to make sure I heard correctly. Yes, its a real cry. I come running. I can't help myself. My baby is crying and I must know why. Must make it better. So I run. Straight to her.

Hold her face in my hands as the words tumble out in pieces and hiccups and tears. Seems little sis was a bit too aggressive. Again. (insert large momma sigh here. Large as in size of sigh, not as in size of momma, thankyouverymuch)

And as we three hold hands and one tiny "sowwy" and genuine big hug is given and received, I remember something:

"Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice." Psalm 55:17.

He hears my cry. Immediately. In the book of Daniel, it says the angel of the Lord told Daniel that as soon as his prayer was uttered, it was heard, and an answer was given. He is moved by our cry.
Swiftly He moves, with certainty and intense purpose He holds us in His hands, as our words and pain come tumbling out. His heart is to heal and to make Himself known, the greatest healing balm...He comes quick for He can't help but be moved when His children cry.

And don't you know, like any good parent, He too, distinguishes, with precision, a cry down to its degrees of meanings. He knows my frustrated, cry, my scared cry, my angry cry, my physically in pain cry, my terrified cry, my fake cry. Oh yes, He knows the fake cry.

Hosea chapter 7 verse 14 says, "And they do not cry to Me from their heart when they wail on their beds;" (emphasis mine) Yes, He knows the fake cry. Does He still come? Well, He's always HERE, so to say He comes, is, well, a mis-perception. But there are times in the throws of a fake-cry-party where I am the sole star of my own show, I sense Him waiting. Waiting for me to get a hold of myself and take a breath. Waiting for me to see if I notice Him waiting. So I can be ready for His healing. He is ready, am I?

"O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me." Psalm 30:2

"I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul, and You have set my feet in a spacious place. " Psalm 31: 7,8

"The righteous cry, and the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34: 17-19

The verses are many that proclaim how loving our Father is to hear and respond when His children cry out. My deep and intense love for my child, how I am moved to immediate action when I hear her cry is but a poor and pale reflection of how God cares for us in time of need, fake cry or not.

What about you? Real cry or fake? Angry or sad cry? Hurt or scared cry? Are you ready for the healing He offers? He's been waiting to love on you....are you ready?