A Lesson In Patience from my 1 year Old

To paraphrase another blogger who was recently Freshly Pressed:

Warning – This post is about to get all Jesus-y and ish. I be loving God.

Okay Readers, for those of us who believe in God, you know that He is a master communicator and speaks to us in many ways. Sometimes it’s a small whisper; sometimes it’s through plants and animals; sometimes God can deliver a healing message to you while you’re taking a dump. He can use anything!

For people with kids, he often uses our children. Since we have little time to sit back and smell the roses let alone observe them, they are generally the most effective tool He has to get His point across.

As many (many) people know, my family needs a new car that can accommodate all 6 of us. I would prefer for that car to be a Ford Flex. I read The Secret not too long ago, and it says that your thoughts must be fixed on the item you are trying to draw to yourself. So for the last 3 or 4 months, that’s what I’ve been doing – trying to draw a Flex to me. My desire was so strong that it had me shuckin’ n jivin’ n coonin’ for the camera. (There’s a video out there somewhere on YouTube.) All that effort, and it still hasn’t manifested itself into my driveway! Unrelenting, I continued to keep my mind on the Flex and nothing else, badgering God and the Universe with this one single thought.

This is where God boomeranged me with a taste of my own medicine. The other day I was in the kitchen, making breakfast like I do every morning. Our routine in the house is the same: I make breakfast, the kids eat, and at some point in the day I get to take a shower. However on this morning, Liya was off the hook with impatience! She toddled into the kitchen, pulling on the hem of my robe and getting way too close to the stove. She screeched an unholy screech, wailing to let me know she was hungry.

“I know you’re hungry,” I firmly told her. “Give me a minute and I’ll get your breakfast!”

I was going to make pancakes and sausage, since I was feeling generous.

Liya continued to scream and push me, throwing me off my balance with her 25 pound weight. Her constant interruption was making my job harder. Didn’t this fool know that I was doing my best to feed her?!?  I’m her MOTHER. Finally I abandoned my grandiose pursuit and gave her a piece of toast and a cup of milk to shut her up. I’d give her a better breakfast another day. I watched her contently munch her dry bread and plain milk in utter contempt. If she had just left me alone, she could have sliced oranges, pancakes with syrup AND milk.

And then that’s when it hit me: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Ooooh! Good one, Lord!

I keep badgering God and getting in His way with my needy thinking and interrupting thought when He’s probably trying to work something incredibly amazing out on my behalf. And because I won’t let Him do His work in peace, He keeps having to throw me a consolation prize to shut me up. Imagine how much more effectively He’d be able to work on my needs if I were seated quietly and thanking Him for what he was about to do, instead of irritating Him with my dogged pestering!

I get it. I’m chill now. I’ll sit back and let patience have its perfect work. Do your thang, God.

Thank You.