Praise for Piggyback Rides

I shifted Nerrie's weight from drooping onto my tailbone and farther up to my shoulders. Beautiful moonlight streamed through the Belizean jungle lighting up the gravel road I was walking on as if it had been a ribbon of silver laid on the ground. "Cub" as we affectionately called my 7 year old brother was breathing heavily and evenly, meaning that my little Energizer Bunny was fast asleep. Despite his protestations that he wasn't the least little bit tired, I had scooped up my 7 year old host brother and bundled him onto my back. The cows were penned only an eighth of a mile from my parents house, but that was an eight of a mile too long for Cub. He had had a busy day at school and then running errands. By the time we reached the cows with their sweet molasses and grain I'd seen the the telltale droops of his eyelids and his gigantic yawn could have easily swallowed a baseball. Cub had been fully confident in his ability to walk the road home, but I knew better and as I climbed a small hill I listened to his oblivious snoring. "Suuuuure Cub, you're totally not tired." I thought laughing to myself, careful not to awaken my little bundle. I admired his valiant effort to push me away but I loved all the more when allowed me to wrap my arms around him and scoop him up to safety and sleep. When he allowed me to step in and ave him from falling asleep {and possibly a sleepover in a feeding trough} that's when I realized God longs to do the same for us. But because we throw barriers insisting that everything is under control, God is unable to step in and ave us from ourselves. "I long to redeem them" {Hosea 7:13}. That is God's own words. I adjusted Nerrie at the foot of our driveway so I could hoist his tired head onto my shoulder, His face was calm and relaxed, sleepily blissful. I ducked my head quickly giving my little Cub a kiss under the moon, before I trudged up the hill, praising God for my small, subtle lessons every day.