Let the Children Come to Me

Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Mark 10:13

As long as I can remember, I have been a worrier. Many a night in grade school I would lie awake at night, fretting about something that happened in school, my mind over-wrought with anxiety, my body unable to relax. On those nights, I would head downstairs and share my worries with my father, who would be reading under lamplight in his big chair in the corner of the living room, his feet propped up on the window seat. Always happy to allow me to sit on his lap and share my worries, he would offer words of comfort as well as practical advice. Sitting close to my dad and pouring out my troubles allowed my body and mind to relax. I could leave those worries with him and head back upstairs to fall asleep.

Possibly you did not grow up with your father in your home. Or, you may not have felt comfortable or safe bringing your worries to him. But you do have a heavenly father who loves you and cares about you. “Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) You can bring any worry or situation to Him.

How is it possible that we can comfortably and confidently bring our concerns to our heavenly Father? It is because God loves us so much, more than any earthly father could, that He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all of us, to accept the punishment for our sins. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Because we are cleared of our sins, we have access to our merciful and gracious, loving God.

Perhaps you have children or grandchildren who have a less than optimal relationship with their earthly father. Do they know their heavenly Father who is always available to help them? Have you told them about Him? The Bible has a number of verses about God the Father’s love and care for His children. You might look at these verses for encouragement: Mark 10:13-16, Romans 8:14-17, Psalm 68:5, 2 Corinthians 1:3 and Matthew 6:25-34. The young and the old can find peace and comfort in bringing their concerns to their loving, heavenly Father.

The more I study the mechanics of the human body, the more I am impressed by how interdependent our limbs, joints and muscles are. Our muscles are designed to be in balance. If a muscle in the front is much stronger than its partner in the back, this can set off a cascading disruption in the position and performance of surrounding joints and limbs. Unfortunately, people don’t realize this has happened until they lose flexibility or feel pain. Stretching helps bring muscles into balance and restores proper functioning of the limbs and joints.

So this week we are going to stretch two muscle groups on the front of the leg and hip: the quadriceps or “quads,” which run down the front of your thigh, and the hip flexors, which connect the top of your thigh to your hips. If either of these muscles are tight, it can cause pain in your low back or your knees.

To stretch your quads, either lie on your side, or stand (holding on to a chair for balance). Keep your thighs next to each other and bend one knee to bring your heel toward your buttocks – but only as far as you are able to. (Remember that if you are not sure if an exercise is appropriate for you, check with your doctor first.) Feel the stretch down the front of your thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, or you can time it by taking three deep breaths.

Now, keeping your knee bent, pull your leg backward slightly until you feel a stretch on the front of your hip. That is your hip flexor. Hold again for 30 seconds or three deep breaths. Then repeat the stretches on your other leg. Your hip flexor can also be stretched while sitting in a chair: Sit toward the front of the chair, and with one knee bent and pointed toward the floor, pull your leg back and hold. Our hip flexors tend to be overly strong because we spend so much time sitting. So you can perform the hip flexor stretch as a work or study break.

You may do these stretches every day if you wish, but it is advisable to stretch the quads and hip flexors after doing your leg strengthening exercises (Click here to see those.) and the squats (which we did last week). Bring your muscles into balance by strengthening and stretching. This will help you become stronger and more flexible, adding to your overall length and strength!