Hup for the Drinky Soul

Photo by Nicholas Vigier flickr.com

Maisy pushes at my knee to get my attention.  "Hup," she says. "Hup." I set my Bible and coffee cup aside and help her up. She settles peacefully into my love to rest. She needs an escape from the frustration and confusion of older children who think they know what is best for her. For a toddler learning to speak, "hup" is a handy word. It means either "help" or "up".

Ben snuggles his tired little body into his mother. Playing with the older children has worn him out and he needs a refuge. He has come to the center of his universe for the help that he trusts most. "I'm drinky," he says in a small, pitiful voice. Someone hands Elizabeth a glass of water for her son and Ben drains it dry, quenching his thirst.

Don't you sometimes feel small, too? Tired. Vulnerable. Overwhelmed.

When Nathanael was small he would leave the noise and fray of his little boy world to silently stand beside my chair.  He would take my hand in his and hold it. Not a word, just stand quietly, holding my hand before returning to his play.

Most of the time we can live joy and courage even in tough moments.  But, sometimes, we need a  hand to hold or a refuge. We need the Center of the universe to help us out of our frustration and confusion. We need to take a break and quench our thirst in a dry weary day.

Eli gave his daddy a hug as Steve left for work. "Bye, Daddy! You're my strongest!" he yelled.

That's the kind of hup we need for our drinky souls, a God who is able, a God who is our Strongest.