I have a child,
actually I have 3;
but one is a stop and look at every rock on the path type.
Which isn’t bad; but when your daily mode of transportation is walking…
Let’s just say it can take a 30-minute errand and turn it into two hours.
I’ve tried lots of things including letting him walk at his own pace,
picking his own direction,
and taking the time to stop and look at EVERYTHING!
It’s hard.
Some days I have a list a mile long and I don’t really have the time to look at each rock, flower and pinecone. (Yes we have pinecones here, weird I know)!
Today after having tried to let him go his own pace, making him go at my pace
and allowing him to look at all the things.
He still didn’t want to finish our errands.
Not going to lie. It was hard and frustrating!
I even had to call a friend in to help.
During this I was asking myself at some point after I got past the anger and frustration…how do I balance this?
There is a time to stop and smell the roses, all of them!
Then there is a time to be disciplined and get your work done.
How to teach a 4 year old this, without crushing his natural wonder for the world around him?
What is God’s natural rhythm for my day and his, how do I incorporate that into our daily lives?
I know He was created with this natural need to look at, touch and enjoy the world around him.
It also makes me in awe of the patience afforded me, by my savior.
How often to I get distracted by my to do list?
Or by the things I want to do, or people I want to spend time with?
Recently I was reading about worshiping the Creator not the creation.
It has stuck with me.
There are so many good things that I do, some of them are practical like make food so we can eat.
Spending time with friends and loved ones.
Enjoying the beautiful creation (I’m astounded daily by the beauty here)!
Those things are all good, and even necessary; but they aren’t the Creator.
Yet He is so patient with me, waiting patiently for me to lift my eyes and refocus on Him.
To acknowledge His direction for my day.
I am like the strong willed 4 year old who has their own agenda and I often forget that it’s the Creators day,
it’s His life I’m spending.
Oh how patient He is with me!
“Oh I wanna thank you now for being patient with me,
Oh it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me…”
~Make My Life A Prayer To You by Keith Green
So the lesson from my 4 year old:
Be more present in the moment,
Be more focused on God and His plan for my day; and be thankful for His patience with me.
This isn’t it; things here are never going to be perfect.
We will have it all together when we are finally made perfect in HIM!
Until then we can rest in His grace, love and His patience that covers us.
