Strong bonds of attachment develop between a mother and nursing infant as the baby learns that her needs for safety, nourishment, being held, companionship, and care will be met. Especially important are the eyes brimming with loving delight that the baby sees in the eyes who see her. Deep inside her soul, she knows love. Her trust is the fruit of this knowing love. Together the mother and babe learn the dance of trust as the babe expresses her needs through cries and the mother learns to interpret them. As the infant matures the time will come when the mother and child begin the process of weaning. This too is a delicate dance and cannot be rushed. A contentedly calm, weaned child: still, quiet and resting in her mothers embrace is the fruit of the loving trust established between them.
The fruit of loving trust is a still and quiet soul.
Psalm 131 (NIV)
My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
For Prayer and Reflection:
Is there a word, a phrase, or an image from this passage that holds your attention? Rest with Jesus with that for awhile.
What concerns might you be holding that most keep your soul from rest? What do you notice about your soul when it is quieted? How does this quieting come to you?
Is there a sound, a color, an image, a smell, a taste, a texture or something else which helps you rest your soul and/or encourages your trust and hope in the Lord?
Often Christians are prodded to "mature" quickly. Give yourself permission to be that nursing infant with God. What do you need for trust to be reestablished between you and God? Keep bringing this into your prayer.