True Identity Ministries Blog

My three year old has just recently entered into a new season of his life-separation anxiety. :) Any time that Mommy is getting ready to leave, he starts to tense up a bit. I may only be dropping him off at Grandma and Grandpa’s house (which he loves to go to) or to the kid’s church class for an hour, but in his little mind, he is feeling like it’s going to be forever. He starts off by telling me good-bye about ten times, blows me twenty kisses, tilts his head and winks his eye at me about ten times….and then this process repeats itself. Lately, I’ve had to try a little Mommy tactic, to help him focus his mind on something else besides me leaving him. So, being the ‘expert’ Mommy that I am, :)…I tell him, “Josiah, if you are a real big boy and don’t cry, I have a pack of M&M’s in my purse for you when I pick you up.” Work’s every time!

Last week after I dropped him off at Grandpa’s house, and after we had gone through the whole process, I had to chuckle as I drove down the road. It’s pretty cute seeing my son’s little chubby cheeks and big brown eyes as he tilts his head and winks at me, another way of him saying, “I love you so much.” I know this separation anxiety season will only be temporary. My three older children had gone through it too. Now, they’ve quickly outgrown it and I laugh when I drop them off somewhere because I may not even get a “good-bye”; as they so excitedly run off for some fun time!

I was thinking about this whole separation anxiety thing and thought, “I want my relationship with Jesus to be like this.” Not anxiety of course, but where I just can’t seem to get enough time with Him. If I am apart from Him too long, it really bothers me. If I feel separated from Him, it’s not a ‘comfortable’ feeling, but one where I just can’t wait to be back with Him. It’s easy as adults to sometimes resemble my older children. We can go about our days, running off for our to-do lists and the things that are appealing in our eyes. Maybe we’re not forgetting to say, “good-bye”, but we are not even starting off with a “good morning”. I want it to feel so uncomfortable if I attempt to live out one day without His presence!

Six times in the Old testament we are told that David “inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 23:2, 4; 30:8; 2 Samuel 2:1; 5:19, 23) He knew he was nothing apart from God-that He could not even make it one day without the Lord. In fact, the first thing he did every morning-before turning to the business of the day-was to turn his heart toward the Lord in prayer:

Psalm 5:3 (Amplified Bible)
“In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare [a prayer, a sacrifice] for You and watch and wait [for You to speak to my heart].”
Psalm 119:147 (NLT)
“I rise early, before the sun is up;I cry out for help and put my hope in your words.”

Apart from the presence, wisdom, and grace of God, we cannot do anything of true worth. If we humbly realize this and take the steps to keep ourselves connected with our loving God, we will be walking our days in His grace-His divine enabling to carry us through each day.

Are you feeling separated from Him today? How can you reconnect? Practically, do you need to start off your day in prayer? What about an encouraging devotional that will inspire you to get into the Word? What about Bible memorization? (I know this is one I am personally working on.) All of these things will keep us continually feeling close to our Heavenly Father. My challenge for you and me today is this…take intentional steps today to keep yourself from feeling separated from God. And once in a while, give Him a wink! ;)


Stephanie