Sharing Stories – Kali

Most of the time, when my children begin horsing around, it usually turns into someone getting upset. This time, it was my sweet Kali who ended up angry and upset even though she was the one who started it. When she had had enough, she ran to me, buried her face into my stomach, and cried. I felt the need to pick her up.

Now Kali is getting taller, and it just isn’t as easy to pick her up anymore. She doesn’t ask to be held unless she is tired and doesn’t want to walk to bed. She loves to sit close and even on my lap, especially if she is trying to make Bruno jealous!

But this time, I felt the need to pick her up. As I lifted her up, I felt her long body wrap around mine. My arms wrapped around her, and she cried on my neck. Then, with the calmest voice, she said, “I haven’t been held like this in a long time.”

My heart melted. The dramatic turn from anger toward her brother to awareness of being held was remarkable. I held her a little longer than I had intended.

It’s moments like these that I want to linger in, where I sense God’s presence strongest, where God is holding us both.