Yesterday, Solomon approached me holding a plastic bracelet that looked like it was freshly-swiped right out of his older sister’s room. It also looked like the 1,000,001 other trinkets made somewhere in Taiwan that occupy our home. I’m certain we could open a carnival stand in our garage and have enough prizes to award the entire neighborhood with a trinket – win or lose. But I digress.
Eyes blazing with the excitement of his freshly-found loot, he furrowed his brow and began to work fervently on forcing the lime green ring around his chubby, 21 month old arm.
“Here buddy, let me help you,” I told him.
I placed my hand around the bracelet in an attempt to wiggle it up his arm. I was trying to help him for crying out loud but he was having none of it.
He furrowed his brow further, dug in his heels and pulled right back. It was a stand-off. He had completely misunderstood my intentions. He thought I was trying to take the bracelet away.
I pulled back and tried to explain in a gentle voice that I was merely trying to help. I wasn’t going to take it. It was his to keep – I just wanted to help him get the bracelet on his little arm so he could go on his merry way and fulfill the other things that were on his “toddler to-do list” for the day.
That’s when it hit me.
I heard God say, “Kinda reminds me of you and me, eh?”
I was humbled because of course it was metaphorical of my relationship with God.
He pulls to assist me – He doesn’t plan to necessarily take away though I know He will if he deems it to be necessary. He simply wants to help because His love for us is that of a parent’s love for their child. He wants to make things a little bit easier. Sure there’s a set of laws to live by but our God? He’s our Father. He wants to help us just like I want to help little Solomon.
He looks at us struggling, trying to figure it out on our own, and must be thinking “There’s such an easier way, my dear one. Here, let me help you.”
Then we dig in our heels, furrow our brows and pull back. We think our way is the right way. It’s about us, sure. But it’s really about fear.
And me? Guilty as charged.
Surrendering is just so darn hard. It’s placing complete and utter trust in something we cannot see, feel, smell, taste, or touch. But that, my friends, is called faith.
Solomon eventually surrendered to his “older and wiser” mama. He saw that I just wanted to help and he allowed me to do so. He then happily ran away with the lime green ring around his arm and proceeded to proudly show off his treasure to his older brother and sister.
He had things to do. His day was full. However, unbeknownst to him, he had just provided a much-needed reminder for his mama.
Funny how God teaches us through our children.
What about you? Do you struggle with surrendering or is it just me?
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1
Do I struggle to surrender? Me? NO! I have no problem with jumping out in the dark unknown to do exactly whatever God wants because I’m adventurous and trusting like that. Psh!
Okay, I’m finished with that. Here’s the truth. YES! I have so much trouble. I’m a big chicken, and I have secret, wrong ideas in my subconcious about God. My faith isn’t big enough. Not only do I want a parachute when jumping with Him, but most of the time, I don’t want the plane to be more than six feet off the ground, you know?
Trust, trust, trust. Jesus loves me this I know.
I’m working on it.
.-= GlowinGirl´s last blog ..His Child Fully Known =-.
I love it! You are too funny. And yes. Yes, I do know. I’m with you on all accounts, girl. I SO get it.
Oh Mama! I knew I shouldn’t have clicked over here today! God’s been working with me lately and I’ve been digging my heals in. I’ve been resistant of what He wants me to do, but He keeps gently prodding me to ‘let go and let God’. You’re post is another reminder of that. So, thank you. He’s working in both our lives. Maybe one day, we’ll get it right. *sigh*
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Not Me! Monday – The evolution of John =-.
Ahh…yes. He is such a funny one, that God. He always knows where to send us to find that next pebble to put in our shoe. I hope to get it right one day but I am thinking I’ll be in heaven when that happens. Until then, I’ll just be super thankful for Jesus!!! :)
What a sweet post and sweet message, although through the whole post I thought you were going to say the bracelet got stuck around his arm and you ended up in the ER or something!!
Sadie at heyMamas
.-= Sadie at heyMamas´s last blog ..Loving: Fage yogurt =-.
Oh no – that would be oh so bad. I guess I should consider myself lucky then, huh?
*sigh* when isn’t it tough to surrender sometimes, right? Great analogy though.
.-= sara@domesticallychallenged´s last blog ..Another Car Story =-.
True. Quite true. But just wanted to see if I was the only one with this struggle…:) Thanks for reading, dear one!
Girl, I’m right with you…guilty as charged!
I have been dealing with (all my life) trying to do things on my own. Dreaming up huge ideas and then spinning my wheels (they usually fall off) until the job is done. Yes, I pray and seek His provision, but I really try to ‘do’ all the work myself instead of letting him open doors.
I’m so aware of this and have been giving this to Him daily for several months now and I have to tell you…His way is WAY better…He has been doing things I couldn’t imagine…and even if things don’t turn out the way I want them to, I have peace that His will is best. I’m enjoying it and can’t wait to see where He leads me.
Awesome post!
~melody~
I hear you on this one, Melody. I find when I do completely place something in His hands it is ALWAYS better than the way I was doing it. Every single time. You would think I would get it, huh?
Thanks for reading and commenting, Melody!
Oh yes, I struggle…
God is so patient with me!
So often God speaks to me through situations with my children…. thank you for sharing yours.
~M
I ran across a quote the other day that said “God does not entrust us with children to teach them about Jesus. He gives us children to teach US about Jesus.”
Umm…Hello? Has there ever been a more accurate statement? I am FOREVER learning through them.
Thanks, Manda, for reading and commenting!
i can categorically say that i am learning how to surrender everyday. it’s not easy – wrestling and furrowing brows is such a manly attitude – but it’s a daily struggle that i welcome. why? i learn from it. and i thank God everyday for letting me experience it :)
.-= cheri´s last blog ..joyful, joyful! =-.
I completely agree – I wonder if there will EVER be a time that I will say “Oh, no. I never have trouble with surrending complete control of my life…” HA! I love your point about learning from the experience – it is always about the process rather than the product. I totally believe this to be true.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Cheri!