Vol. 17 No. 39 | September 29, 2014
These lessons are not new. I am pretty sure I, and all people, learned these as a child, or maybe they naturally came with us into the world. Like many other things as we grow older we think we learn better ways of living, or we forget the simple lessons Jesus said we must learn from those about whom He said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3, NIV). So, with the most recent visit with my youngest granddaughter, previous visits with my oldest granddaughter, watching my son and daughter as they grew, and drawing from my own life, I have been reminded of these life lessons.
Falling asleep is easier if you know someone is there to take care of you.
My job (a real chore) was to stay with her while her mom and dad were out for the morning. My instructions were: “If she wakes up, comfort her, feed her a little, and she’ll go back to sleep.” She woke up. I comforted her. I fed her a little. And she began to fall back to sleep. She made a few noises…those special grunts and squeals that babies make when they are half awake and half asleep. As I lay beside her on the bed I put my hand on her chest to assure her that she was not alone and that I was near. She would occasionally half open her eyes look at me and rub or pat my hand. She did that a few times and settled back in to finish her sleep.
My heart melted. My eyes watered. And I thought, “I’m the same way.” When I lay down to rest, for a nap or for the night, it is always good to know someone is there. If not physically it is important to know that emotionally and spiritually someone is there. My Papa is there. He is always there. Close to me, assuring me, calming me, comforting me, feeding me, and reminding me that He loves me.
He is my Father. I am His child.
As we make our way through life there are a lot of distractions.
She is on the floor in her space with her toys. She looks across the quilt and sees a toy that she wants. Bright colorful rings. Her eyes light up. Her arms wave with excitement. She starts across the quilt. Then, she sees the fox. She loves the fox. She grabs him. Squeezes him. Chews on his ear. Then, she sees the rattle and heads for it. On the way she raises her head to make sure we are still there. She smiles and on she goes. But, then she sees that I have my phone out to take her picture. “I love phones.” She makes an immediate left turn and heads for the phone which is the other side of my legs. Legs do not stop her. She pulls up, strains, grunts, and eventually tumbles off my legs. As she almost reaches my phone she notices my drink cup with a bright red straw. “Ooooh! I love bright red straws!”
I do the same thing. I begin my day with a clear direction and detailed plan. I get a cup of coffee and prepare for a quiet time in the Word and prayer. Then, comes a phone call, a text, an email, a reminder of something I had forgotten. “Oh, I’ve got to do that first.” “Oh! Man! I forgot about that!” Somewhat like a pinball I bounce from one thing to the next. When I reach the end of the day I think of one more thing that needs my attention. The time in the Word and in prayer was lost along the way.
Take time to notice everything.
She notices everything. She wants to investigate everything. Her hands. Her fingers. Her toes. Her toys. That piece of string on the carpet. The wedding ring on my finger. The blue band on my wrist. The strings on my shoes. My nose. My mustache. Her mom’s face. Her dads beard. The napkin on the table. The bird. The flowers. She wants to touch it, squeeze it, bite it, taste it, lick it. She notices everything.
We outgrow this lesson faster than any of the others. Busy schedules. Obligations. Deadlines. Commitments. Wants. Needs. Busy-ness. Important things. Before you know it we miss a beautiful sunrise, we ignore a child playing in the park, and we miss a special moment with friends and family. As we rush through our day we fail to listen to our spouse, we gobble down a meal, and we walk past people without acknowledging their existence. As we reflect on our day we are reminded of all the things, moments and people that we passed up and passed over.
Children can teach us so much, if we will let them…f we will take time to notice and watch them. So, here is an assignment for the next week:
First, remind someone that you are there for them, and as you lay down to sleep remind yourself that God, your Father, is there to comfort you, feed you, and help you rest.
Second, guard against unhealthy distractions. Stay focused on what is important.
Third, notice and enjoy all the people, things, and moments that the Lord puts in your path. Slow down. Relax. Rest.
Tom
© Copyright 2014 Tom Norvell. All rights reserved.