For this is what the Lord says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:12-13

One of the blessings of motherhood is I’ve learnt more about what it means to be a child of God through having my own children. I wanted to be the kind of mother who always took time to answer her children’s questions. Very quickly I made an interesting discovery. Children are big enough to ask questions, long before they are big enough to understand the answers. Sometimes I was disappointed that I couldn’t explain things in ways they could understand, but I noticed that it didn’t bother them. They accepted the fact that there were things they didn’t understand.

It caused me to stop and wonder if God has the same problem with me. I’m big enough to ask God questions, especially “why” questions. Why did this happen today? Why do I struggle with these problems? Why do people suffer? But perhaps I’m not big enough to understand his answers. God’s thoughts are higher than my thoughts and his ways are higher than my ways (Isaiah 55: 8-9).

At those times when I struggle to understand God’s purposes in my life, I remind myself that God is good, he’s Sovereign and he knows what he’s doing. I can trust him, just like my children trust me.