The other day, when I told Lilli I was heading out for my haircut, she wasn’t all that pleased. After I was gone, my daughter said that before too long, she’d gotten her blanket and posse of bedtime pals, and announced that she didn’t feel well. When asked what was wrong, she said this:

Only Mimmie understands me.

Oh my. While I won’t be praying her to a sparkling Hollywood career anytime soon, if the good Lord should decide that’s going to be her path anyway, the movie people won’t be getting anyone short on dramatic talent.

Isn’t it interesting that, even at 2, we long for understanding? It seems we are born needing to be understood completely for who we are. All through our lives we move from person to person to find that understanding because there is no one – NO ONE – who really understands all of us. Not our parents, not our spouses, not our best friends. Frankly, there are things about myself that even I don’t understand. Amen?

I might have a pretty good handle on what makes Lilli tick right now, but I promise you there will come a time when she completely baffles me and she will have to rethink her bold claim (there will likely be a ‘teen’ at the end of her age when that happens, if I were a betting woman). I think that’s because, as we grow, we start to become less and less honest about our feelings. We bottle things up, we self-protect, we put on a brave face, and let others in less and less. Really, we get so good at it that we begin to hide things even from ourselves.

There is only one person that fully understands us; only One who really, truly knows our thoughts, feelings and hearts. You can’t hide from Him, even though we’ve all tried at one time or another. (When I realize I’m trying to do a little hiding myself, I’m always somewhat befuddled over it. Why do we try to hide from the One who made us, knows us thoroughly – the good, the bad and the ugly – and yet died for us, and our mess, just the same? Why?) I’m so grateful that when others seem to fall short in this department, I have Someone who offers real understanding. Someone in whom I can rest, not run.

Blanket and stuffed animals optional.

“O LORD, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave,you are there.If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night—but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you.You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed^. How precious are your thoughts about me,O God. They cannot be numbered!I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up, you are still with me!” Psalm 139:1-2 NLT

“You know me inside and out…” Psalm 139:15 MSG

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV