Category Archives: God as our Father

Tiny Toddler

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Today a tiny toddler joyfully climbed out
from the confines of his buggy
in the grounds of Belfast City Hall.
This was his opportunity to explore!
He set off.

Wherever he went
his parents followed
at a slight distance,
keeping a watchful eye,
ready to give help if needed.

The green grass looked inviting
in the sunlight.
But there was a problem –
there was a step up to the grass
and this tiny toddler
wasn’t quite steady enough
to negotiate it on his own.

He stopped before the step,
looked down at it
and paused.
Then he raised his left hand in the air
and turned to his Mammy,
convinced that she was the solution
to his problem.

He was right!
His Mammy smiled,
took his hand
and helped him up the step.
In the same way
she helped him up another step
and another one …

In the faces of the parents
I saw pride, patience, pleasure,
delight and love.
In the tiny toddler
I saw curiosity, security, trust
and total confidence.

I was reminded that in my spiritual life
I need to become
like that tiny toddler,
trusting,
in the presence of My God,
My Daddy. © Claire Murray

You’re a Big Girl Now!

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I have a sense of myself
as a small girl
in my own garden
learning how to ride
my big two wheeler bike.
This takes concentration.
Most of the time
my cycling is fine now,
but occasionally I still wobble.

My God, My Daddy has been teaching me.
He stands in the middle of the garden
looking on in delight
at the progress I have made.

Eventually I finish my laps of the garden
and sit down beside My Daddy in the sun.
He has something to say.

“Claire, you’re a big girl now
and you know how to ride your bike.
It’s time for you now
to leave the safety of the garden.
Cycling’s not easy, you know.
You’ll encounter hills
which will be great fun to go down
but really difficult to climb.
When that happens,
you just have to remember
to keep pedalling.”

“The other important thing to remember
is that no matter how big you grow
you’ll still be my wee girl
and I’ll still be your Daddy,
looking out for you.”

My Daddy opens the gate
and I cycle out,
a little wobbly, a little scared
but determined
because cycling is something
that I really want to do.

© Claire Murray

Stepping Stones

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Lord,
Today I had this image of the two of us.
I was a wee girl
picking my way carefully
along a flooded path,
trying to step on stones that jutted
out of the water
so that my red, plastic sandals
wouldn’t get wet.
Some of the stones shifted or wobbled
when I walked on them.
My journey was slow and painstaking.
I had to really concentrate
as I didn’t really know
which stones were safe to walk on;
they all seemed precarious.

But you, Lord, were walking
right beside me,
holding my hand,
steadying me each time that I walked
on a stone that tipped to one side.
I could feel your strength
as you bore my weight
each time that I stumbled.
The journey was difficult
but I felt a conviction
that with you by my side
I had no need to worry
about anything at all.

I was only wee
and you were so tall beside me.
My steps were faltering and tentative.
Yours were so firm and certain.
Two figures that were different
in so many ways
and yet , in one respect, very similar.
We were both absolutely determined
to do our best to ensure
that I should reach my destination,
wherever that is,
no matter how slow the progress,
no matter how long it takes.

© Claire Murray

Nuala with the Hula

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Lord,
Nuala with the Hula stands confidently
at the end of Queen’s Bridge,
arms outstretched before her,
proudly offering her hula
to someone I can’t see.

It strikes me that this is the way I should be with you, Lord,
standing tall, fearless, self-assured,
absolutely convinced that what I offer to you
is exactly what you want from me
and that my act of giving it to you
is something that you delight in.

That’s the way I should stand before you
every time I’m doing something for you,
doing my best for you,
secure in the knowledge that for you
my best is always good enough
no matter what anyone else thinks,
no matter what I might think,
aware that as you watch you’re thinking,
“That’s my Claire. Isn’t she just great?”

Nuala with the Hula stands confidently
at the end of Queen’s Bridge
and invites me to stand tall and without fear
in the presence of you, My Daddy,
at all times.

(c) Claire Murray

Me and God

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When the time comes,
when the river is a raging torrent
that I must cross
I will call out to God, My Daddy,
and He will come.

We will meet
as evening falls
at Tullyrusk.
I will sit, waiting,
at the end of the bridge
and My Daddy
will appear.
He will sit beside me
and we will talk:
My Daddy,
big and strong beside me;
me snuggled up
against him.
My Daddy will say to me,
“Claire, are you ready?
We’ll go in your own time”.
I will nod.
We will rise together
and approach the bridge.

I am only wee
but I feel safe
beside My Daddy
who is so big and strong.
My Daddy will wear
his warm, brown, cosy
winter coat
with the deep pockets.
He will take my wee hand in his
and we will both
slip our hands
into his pocket.
My Daddy will walk beside me
at just the right speed
so that I don’t have to run
to keep up with Him.

Sometimes the water might be a raging torrent;
other times it might be a mere trickle.
It doesn’t matter.
We will cross that bridge
when we come to it;
me and God,
together.

© Claire Murray