I fingered the silky softness of the beautiful blanket and wondered what magical fabric could hold up to the marketing claim that babies wrapped in this blankie felt as though they were back in the security of the womb. We had just learned about the coming birth of a new grandchild so I plunked down more money than I ever expected to pay for a baby blanket, pretty sure the manufacturer's claim was bogus but willing to take the risk that our coming grandbaby would crown this as her favorite possession.

Seven years later, I have to accept responsibility for putting a security blanket addiction into the hearts of six of our precious grandchildren. One of these blankets is on its way to an orphanage in India with hopes that this piece of cloth will help communicate comfort and security to our soon to be adopted granddaughter Siddhi.[Note: To view the Siddhi link contents you must be logged into Facebook.]

Perhaps the most vivid picture of the comfort power of these blankets is the attachment of our 3 year old grandson to his original dark blue airplane blankie. I recently observed an unhappy Caleb grab his filthy, smelly companion. He slowly slipped its edge through his fingers until he found a tiny piece of silk to caress with his fingertips. His countenance relaxed and all was well with his world once more. To any normal observer, Caleb's bloodied and shredded source of comfort is disgusting and belongs in the trash. There is little left of the original silk. His mommy is fearful that it will disintegrate with any more washings. Its original beauty is long gone and there is nothing attractive about it. Anyone who sees it will reject it as having any worth and will recoil at the thought of touching it. Anyone but Caleb, that is. A new blanket: $55. Snuggling with the tried and true blue airplane blankie, priceless.

Caleb's bloodied, ugly, and disgusting blankie reminds me of Isaiah's description of Messiah. Isaiah describes Jesus' physical description as unattractive and repulsive. Yet like Caleb's addiction to his ugly blankie, those who know Jesus intimately hunger for His touch and long for the security of His love. Caleb's attachment is rooted in his experience, not in its appearance.

Those who love Jesus do so for many reasons but mainly because His touch heals the hurts, calms the restless heart and presses peace into our troubled souls. The more He travels with us, the more bloodied He becomes with our spiritual "nosebleeds." But it seems those patches of reality make Him all the more attractive to us.

Those who do not know the love of Jesus do not understand the soul addiction of those who do. When a bully grabs our favorite toy, taunts us with the unfairness of life, when relationships break, a dream fails, a job is lost, a husband walks out, a child refuses to listen, even when restful quiet eludes us in the chaos of every day life those who have been wrapped up in the bloodied salvation of God's Son are desperate for the comfort and peace that the presence and promise of Jesus brings. Our longing for His touch appears foolish to those who don't know Him. They are mystified by the "ahhhh...." that slips from our lips when the strength of His Word relaxes our tense spiritual muscles.

When I told Caleb's mommy that these blankets are no longer being produced she said she didn't think he would accept a replacement for his tried and true lifelong companion, no matter how shiny and clean it might be. Someday Caleb won't have room in his hands for his special blankie. Baseball bats, basketballs, pencils, and books will replace the silky softness of his special source of comfort and familiarity. So every day his mommy and daddy and those who love Caleb teach him about Jesus' love and how he can trust Him with his hurts and joys and need for security and comfort. How about you? What's your security blankie look like?

May you experience God's special presence as you offer others the treasures of His encouragement.

In His grip,
Sharon