3 years ago, during prayer, I found myself calling out  “I want you, Jesus.”  Immediately my thoughts were drawn to my (then) 3 year old son, Josiah.  Whenever Josiah felt separated from one of us and wanted us to hold him, he expressed it that same way:  “I want you Daddy.”  I began making comparisons between Josiah’s calling out to me, and my calling on Jesus.  When Josiah calls “I want you Daddy” the reality is that he had me all along.  He has my heart; he has my attention; he has my provision; he has me.  His need is to experience my love for him.  When I can, I envelope his little body in my arms and squeeze him so tightly he feels he might burst.  I want him to know my love.  However, sometimes (like when I’m driving and he’s in his carseat,) I can’t express my love to him physically. At those times I reassure him verbally, “I want you, too, Josiah.”  It’s not a hug, it can’t be felt, but it is no less valid, no less real. Yet, he usually is not satisfied with my reassurance, and reasserts, “I want you Daddy.”  Maybe…maybe I’m a lot like a three year old.  I sense the need to be reassured that I am loved and accepted.  God often wraps me in His eternal arms and squeezes me so powerfully I feel I might burst.  But other times, when I don’t sense His arms, I can still know His love because of His Word spoken to me.  I must be able to pick up the Bible and find his love expressed to me in His Words. Still, a bear hug is good.