Flawed & Faithful

I love a good metaphor. I always have. I have a talent for finding metaphors in life and applying them to the spiritual realm. I will more than likely always have a metaphor in each of my posts because it’s generally how I relate to others. It reminds me of Jesus when He would speak in parables to share a lesson and message with those who were listening to Him.

So, with that being said… I want to share the metaphor that God has set in my lap recently, and I pray it blesses those who are meant to receive it.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am a new mommy to a beautiful baby girl! I love her dearly, and she has blessed my life beyond what I believed was possible. She is my heart beating outside of my chest.

When she entered the world, something came over me that I had never felt before. I became so protective, as most mothers do over their young. I was all hands on deck and wanted to learn as much as I could about caring for her the best I could. I took probably over 40 parenting classes on various topics. One of them was all about breastfeeding: the benefits, techniques, nutrition, breastfeeding while returning to work, pumping, troubleshooting, etc.

I learned so much and made the decision that breastfeeding was the way to go for me and my daughter. I set the goal to breastfeed until she was at least six months old. So, we’re still on that journey, as she is almost five months now.

When I started breastfeeding in the hospital, it was tough—she only latched once during the full six days she was in the NICU. Then when we came home, it took about another three weeks to get it down. Eventually, we found our groove, and between pumping, I would let her latch onto my breast to feed her. I loved it, honestly, and still do. It’s a beautiful way to bond with my sweet little girl, and I cherish that time with her.

But enough of that—my point in bringing this up is to share that while the journey of breastfeeding has been beautiful, it hasn’t always been perfect. It evolves all the time.

Lately, my daughter has been latching on when she’s hungry, feeding for about 20 seconds before something catches her eye—a ceiling fan spinning round and round, our family pup running around the room, her dad walking by, the television… the list of distractions goes on. She sees something that takes her away from feeding, and she unlatches to explore her surroundings with her eyes.

It takes about 10 seconds for her to realize she’s no longer being fed. She seems so happy looking around before she begins to scream and cry in frustration. Where did the milk go?! She fusses until she finds me and latches back on for another 20 seconds, then the next distraction comes, and she unlatches again.

We do this dance for a few rounds before she finally settles down and feeds calmly—or decides she isn’t as hungry and wants to sit up and take in her surroundings. I’m patient with her. I don’t mind much that she wants to look around. That’s how she learns and grows. However, I know she’ll eventually need a good, long, and satisfying feeding—and I’ll be there when she looks to me for that provision.

See where I’m going with this?

We are all children of God, even those who do not know Him or acknowledge Him. Because we are His children, we are spiritual beings living in human, fleshly suits. We are in this world, but we are not of it. God has a plan for each of us and will provide when we come to Him, just as I provide milk to my daughter when she’s hungry.

This world has so many distractions, many disguised as good and worthy of our attention. God gives us free will, so we are able to do as we please. We can invite in anyone or anything, often believing they’ll fill a void for us. And for a moment—or even a season—it may feel great and beneficial. But eventually, we realize the void hasn’t truly been filled, and we grow hungry again.

My daughter realizes she’s hungry, and what was distracting her is no longer important. She searches for me so she can be fed and truly satisfied.

The void we feel can only be filled by our Father because He knows exactly what we need. The world tells us we need more money, the best sex life, the perfect spouse, more friends, a great job, a new house or car—and while God may bless us with some of these things in various seasons of life, we shouldn’t seek them as “the thing that will prosper us or make us happy.”

None of the world’s things bring peace if they come from our own manipulation. That, by definition, is witchcraft. We shouldn’t focus on manifestation or making things happen for ourselves—our focus must be on our ultimate Source and Provider, Jehovah Jireh.

When money, relationships, work, children, homes, cars, and opportunities come from God, we can be sure that they are good. But when they come from us, they are fleeting. We will soon thirst again, and the only thing that quenches that thirst is God—His Word and a continuous relationship with Him.

When we turn away from worldly distractions, we can see what God has for us and rest in His truth: He is with us, and He cares for us. When my daughter stops looking around at the things that don’t actually feed or serve her, she can focus on her feeding with me. She latches on, grows calm, and gets fed.

This back-and-forth between God and the world leaves many of us distraught and frustrated. Often, we aim our frustration toward God, disregarding Him by rebuking or even cursing His name.

I’ve been there.

I once thought I was walking in God’s will for my life, but really, I was walking in my own plan—willing to manipulate anything to stay on the path I chose. When my strength ran out and I was thrown off that path, I felt empty and angry that my plan didn’t work.

I looked to God and told Him I was angry—angry that He allowed me to fail and suffer the consequences. He didn’t answer my prayer. He stayed silent when I pleaded for an answer—for His intervention.

So I turned away from Him, from the calling He placed on my life, from His Word, and from anyone who represented His light.

Blessedly, my temper tantrum lasted less than two weeks. I asked God to search my heart and humble me in that difficult season, and He revealed that I had formed an idol that was sitting on the throne of my heart—a space meant for Him and Him alone.

One day, I’ll elaborate more on that lesson about idols, but for now, I just want to highlight the storm within us when we pursue worldly distractions instead of God’s will. We are left without milk—thirsty, hungry, frustrated, empty, heartbroken, and wandering in the wilderness.

Just like my daughter learns to fix her gaze on me to be filled, we must fix our gaze on God to be sustained. The milk was never gone—she just turned away from it. And the same is true for us: God never withholds His presence, His love, or His provision. We simply become distracted.

But the moment we turn back to Him—hungry, humbled, and ready—He receives us with open arms. He doesn’t shame us for wandering. He nourishes us, restores us, and reminds us that we were never truly empty, just looking in the wrong direction.

If you’ve been chasing the next thing, the next relationship, the next level, or the next source of comfort—pause. Breathe. Return to your Source. Your Father is right where you left Him, waiting with everything you need to be whole again.

Let’s stop glancing at the noise around us and start gazing at the One who gives life. Because only in His presence do we find peace that satisfies, strength that endures, and joy that remains.

A moment of prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being my Source—my Provider, my Comforter, and the One who never moves, even when I do. Forgive me for the times I’ve allowed the noise of this world to pull my focus away from You. Like a child distracted from her nourishment, I confess that I’ve often looked to other things to fill the void that only You can satisfy.

Teach me to fix my eyes on You, Jesus—the One who began my faith and will perfect it. Help me to recognize when I’m chasing distractions and give me the strength to return quickly to Your presence. Remind me that You are patient with me, waiting with open arms, ready to restore and refresh my soul.

Lord, fill me with Your Spirit so that I no longer hunger for the temporary things of this world, but for Your truth, Your Word, and Your will. Let my heart stay rooted in You, and let my life reflect Your goodness and grace.

In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen.

I pray this entry has blessed whoever it is meant to bless. I have included a few scriptures below that can be referred to, meditated on, and used in your prayer time. 

John 6:35 NLT
Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Jeremiah 2:13 NLT
“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me—the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!”

Psalm 107:9 NLT
For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Isaiah 55:1–2 NLT
“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink—even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk—it’s all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.”

Luke 15:20 NLT
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.”

Hebrews 12:2 NLT
We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.