Clinging to Jesus

This summer, I am working as a nanny/babysitter for 3 children ages 2 and under. When I first started last month, everyday at least 2 of them would bawl when mom and dad left for work. As time went on, the crying became a less frequent occurrence. This morning, I realized all 3 of them have gone a whole week without tearing up at the sight of a parent leaving. In fact, yesterday, during a trip to the doctor's office, the 2-year-old clung to me with all her might, even choosing me over her own mother at times. This morning, one of the twins did the same. He had no interest in anything but me. It feels good to be trusted so unquestioningly - even by a young child. 

This thought brought me back to a quiet time I had recently about trusting Jesus. Whenever I feel as though I trust God more than ever before, He calls me to a new level. So here I am, observing these toddlers clinging to me, and I feel God speaking to my heart: "Cling to Me like that, daughter."

As I think about this, I realize that I am currently holding onto God, but not clinging to Him. At first, this doesn't seem like such a big deal, but then I realize that as long as I'm only holding onto God, I can be holding onto a lot of other stuff too. There are a lot of things I hold onto: work, money, dreams, friends, goals...I'm sure there's more. Do I value these things just as much as I value Jesus? If not, why am I holding onto them too? 

I also realize that once I drop these things, I'm still not clinging to Jesus. He's just the only thing I'm holding onto at that point. To cling is "to adhere closely, to stick to, to hold tight (as by grasping or embracing)." I can hold onto Him from a reasonable distance, just as I would a stinky diaper, without anything else in my grasp. I can't cling to Him, though, without first closing any distance that exists between us. When I am merely holding onto Jesus, there may be nothing between us, but when I am truly clinging to Jesus, there is no room for anything to come between us. I wonder what it looks like to embrace Him this tightly?

With these thoughts, I'm embarking on a journey to cling to God, to hold onto only Him and to leave no room between us. I invite you to do the same.