I‘ve often shared stories about what makes me such a
goof, and my beautiful daughter is my number one source…for the experience I’ve
gained by being her Momma, and for the heartbreak that comes along with being
anyone’s Momma. She was born in the
middle of the night, in San Diego, California, where my husband was serving in
the United States Marine Corps. She was
born so quickly that I have often said I was sure she was using her feet
against my insides to push herself out. One
very large tear and twenty-four stitches later, she was here. And that’s the way it’s been since the
beginning.
Even then she has been unwilling to let others do their
job to get things done. She’s either
helped things along in her own way, or ignored the system altogether! The more I’ve tried to help her, the faster
she runs the other direction. And you
know what? Even as frustrating as that
has been, I have to admire her moxie.
It’s been horribly difficult to watch her run into walls, and if any of
you, dear readers, have had a strong-willed child, then you know how many tears
are shed while watching them struggle, and fighting the urge to rescue them
after every face-plant. But she gets up
and does it again and again, until she gets her way.
Over the years I’ve learned that every time I push my
wishes on her, I become merely a speed bump instead of a yellow line along the
road. The most difficult thing for us as
humans to learn, but most important for sure, is how little control over anything we have. Lots of New Age theology teaches doctrine on
living to our highest potential by listening to the wisdom within ourselves,
and that we alone have the power to control our destiny. I say, “Hah!!!” It’s the same lie Satan sold
Eve in the Garden of Eden.
The
truth is, that it denies our God’s sovereignty and His ability to show us how
small we really are. Anyone who has watched a loved one die, or come upon the
scene of a horrific car accident, or fire, or…. the list goes on, knows that
there are many things beyond our control.
They alone can testify to that feeling of complete helplessness to
change the situation.
My point, dear ones, is that those of us who call Jesus
“Lord” are fortunate enough to have a leader who is more of a
“people-whisperer” than a trainer that “breaks” us. We can thankfully say that He does not force
us to do anything we don’t want to, but waits for us to get the message that we
can trust Him. He knows we’ll come when we are ready, because submission is so
much sweeter than gloating over our crushed carcasses.
Who or what have been your speed bumps? They may be the difficult people in your
life, the time in the desert you thought you’d never survive, or in my case,
the physical infirmities that slow me down long enough to stop and look up.
‘Cause I know what kind of person I am.
If I didn’t have these speed bumps in my life, I would bust through
life, going a hundred miles an hour, doing everything myself. Instead, I have to rest when I am tired, fill
up on His word, ask for His strength, and ask for His help to get things done….so
I can keep on being a speed bump for my kid!
No comments:
Post a Comment