The Love of Children

With my hands rested on my head,
and a warm tear flowing down my face, 
this day feels so hard.

The overwhelming feeling of failure drips its poison, 
as the constant lingering pressure starts to bubble forth - 
yet another mistake to my tally. 

Another face has tears, much like my own, after I lost my cool; 
in these moments, I see the weakness of my own self, a reminder of 
my lack of control.

Then suddenly, I feel two small, thin arms, attempt to grasp my side. 

As if decided together, another pair of arms, even smaller than the ones gripping my body, reach out and hold onto my back. 

Everything slows...

The feeling of parental failure begins to drift away, and the reminder of the blessing of children wrestles control in the smallest of embraces. It's in this moment, that time begins to slow, and I hear two small voices say, "We love you, daddy."

I am held and loved in this moment. It's in this moment that the mountains of laundry, the dirty dishes in the sink, and hand-smeared glass windows in the living room, streaked with a pasty grey in the bright afternoon sun, suddenly don't matter. 

This is the power of love in action. It momentarily stops pain, it slows the mental decay of our instant society, and it refreshes a parched and weary soul. 

The love of children. 

Thank you, Lord. 

Christian