Shade from the Sun
“Often, one need not look further than their children to understand more about God the Father.” Justin Jackson
Reflection
Though one might debate the state where the sun sits the highest and shines the brightest, the consensus is that summers are HOT in the South. One summer afternoon, my son and I took our regularly scheduled trip to the barbershop. If I found the door locked upon arrival, I would typically call our barber and let him know to come and open it. On this particular day, it felt like the summer sun was at its highest and shining its brightest here in Atlanta, Georgia. As the back of my neck baked, I watched my son play with his shadow. Naturally, I looked at mine and soon called my son over to me. I told him to stand before me, and looking down at my shadow, I asked,
“Do you know what shade is?”
When he replied that he did not, I stepped away from him and explained that shade is any area where something blocks the sunlight. I told him to look at the shadow I cast and to join me again in the shade I made. I watched as he watched his own shadow disappear into mine. I asked him if he felt better in the shade or the sun, and he said, “In the shade.” I moved to a different spot while asking him what would happen if ‘Daddy’ moved. Before I could complete my question or get to another place, my son responded nonverbally and without hesitation, moving to get back in my shadow. Once he was comfortable, he sighed in relief and said, “That’s better.” I then explained God is our shade from the sun.
Application
Reflecting on the scenario, I pray that my son will learn a few long-term lessons from the experience.
1. If one makes their home in His shade, He will provide relief and comfort despite the circumstances outside of it. This is a safe place to learn God’s ways:
God’s truth, How to pray, How to learn grace, Compassion, Righteousness and How to build relationships.
The more one learns in Him, the more equipped they are to manage life. However, when one leans on their own understanding and moves away from where God is, slowly but surely, the sun will beat down on them, and life will be much harder. The good news is one can always return to His shade.
2. There are times when one notices the shade slowly moving away.
One must recognize and understand that we are not meant to stay in one place spiritually. Becoming all God has created us will involve realizing that the place where we first found comfort was only that way because God was there. As we walk with Christ, the Holy Spirit will tell you when a certain season is done. Be sure to follow God to the next place He wants you to be.
3. As God provides relief and comfort for you in His shade, He expects you to use what you have learned in His presence and invite in others as well.
God does not equip for the sake of personal gain. He commands us to give as it was given to us. Through that generosity, God will bless us even more. Jesus said:
“You will know that I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)
This impact on our lives begins with us, then our families, and then our communities. Bring others in so they experience the same relief and comfort afforded to you, and they will know Jesus is Lord.
For now, this lesson for my son likely means learning as much about life in the environment we, his parents, provide as we follow God, being obedient when we say it’s time to get off the playground, and finally, setting the example/taking care of his little sister. However, one day in the future, when it gets HOT, and it will, the lesson will ultimately serve as a firm foundation for his relationship with God the Father.
What does it mean for you?
In Christ,
Justin
