School was out and the elementary courtyard was swarming with recently freed children. They were scattering like little ants across the grounds.  Chaos was all around us. My sister and I were dodging these darting ants on our way to the meet-up spot to retrieve my twin nieces, ‘the bubbies’. We saw the oldest bubby first. She came running straight towards me. Before I knew it she was airborne flying into my arms like a magnet. I braced for impact and caught her like a NFL star receiver. This was not my first time catching a flying bubby. Almost instantly my bubby realized where she was; still in the middle of the courtyard in front of her entire school.  She jumped out of my arms faster than she had flown into them. Our millisecond magnetic bond was broken.

Next her adorable little cheeks turned red. This is the first time I have ever seen my bubby embarrassed; like next level embarrassment that causes a physiologic reaction. I breathed a sigh of relief that I was not the one that initiated this ‘perceived’ social snafu. I was only indirectly at fault. After all, I had to catch her, right? 

The sweetest realization of this magnet memory is how I felt after my bubby jumped out of my arms. I was grateful that I was only a pawn in her embarrassment, not the cause. I didn’t love her any less when she jumped out of my arms. My feelings weren’t hurt over her embarrassment. I knew her reasons for jumping away better than she did. I was once an eleven-year-old girl too.

Every deep and mature relationship progresses similarly. You start out glued to each other like magnets. Then with time and trust, your relationship morphs into an unspoken comfortability. You don’t need the same reassurance from your person because trust has been established. You know they are going to be your magnet whenever you need to jump in their arms.  This is true with my bubbies, with my husband, and with my Jesus. 

This incident got me thinking even deeper: How many times have I jumped into Jesus arms, realized where I was, and then all too quickly jumped out?  The answer is embarrassing!

This magnet moment is a powerful illustration of Jesus’ love for me. It is not conditioned on my behavior. Jesus knows my reasons for jumping away before I do. He knows what it is like to be human in this broken world.  I take great solace in knowing whether I am jumping in or out of Jesus’ arms; He is always ready to catch me.