There are so many mommy blogs out there and as much as I love seeing the pictures as kids grow up, I love the stories even more. My favorite ones (besides the funny ones that make me laugh so hard no sound comes out) are the ones where God so clearly uses children to teach a lesson.
I read these posts and I try to imagine my life down the road with kids. I want so much to be a mom some day, and I’ve wondered what it would feel like to have a normal day and then suddenly realize God is right there showing you something new with ordinary things and people.
I was babysitting Tuesday morning for a little girl I’ve watched many times for over a year now, nothing out of the ordinary. Typically I watch both girls, M (4) and K (age 2), but M was at a birthday party so it was just me and K hanging out, playing with dolls before lunch and naptime.
They both just had birthdays and got new Tangled toys…except they just call her Repunzel.
K kept putting Repunzel at the top of the tower and saying, “Punzel, Punzel, let down that hair!!!”
I died a little inside each time. Can we say adorable?!
Half way through playing with the new toy, K tuned to the CD player and declared she wanted to listen to Mickey Music.
Mickey and Minnie are the girls’ very favorites, and the soundtrack to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is one they know.
Instead of doing it for her, I wanted to see if she could turn it on by herself. I babysat the week before and she knew how to stop the music, but could she turn it on?
I watched her go through the different CD cases one by one, each time moving them to the floor and telling me it wasn’t the right one.
She kept pushing buttons on the CD player (not realizing it was off) and saying she wanted Mickey Mouse.
I asked her, “K, do you want some help?”
“No!”
“I can help you find it if you want.”
“No.”
Well okay then.
I waited to see if she would figure it out or be willing to accept help, but she just kept pushing buttons. I might have even laughed inside a little bit because she knows full well I know how to turn on the CD player, but she kept insisting she do it by herself. Eventually she went back to her toy but then came back to the music.
Again, “I can help you if you wait, K.”
“No!”
And then it was like God snapped his fingers, froze the moment for just a second, and showed me how I often act.
I want something or am chasing after something fun, exciting, or new…but I can’t do it alone. I’m not tall enough to see the buttons yet.
Instead of asking for help, I just push different buttons. I make choice after choice, hoping maybe it will be the one to get things started. I go through option after option, only to be standing there with no music to dance to.
And the whole time God was sitting right there, willing and able to help. He’s bigger, stronger, smarter, and He can do it just as easily as I could have stood up and turned the music on.
How hard would it have been for me to find the CD and press the Play button?
It would have taken me no more than 10 seconds, but K wouldn’t accept my help.
How quick could God do this or that in my life, if I would just stop for one second, get over my own pride, and let Him simply help.
Why do I live as if I must do everything on my own?
Lunch time came and as she left the room to go have a PB&J, I just had to look in the CD player. I knew, I just knew, the Mickey Mouse CD was already in.
Sure enough, there it was.
Ready to be played, waiting already inside the CD player.
All K needed was to press the Play button, but she couldn’t see it. She kept looking and looking for the CD and it was already there; ready and waiting for her. But she wasn’t ready to accept help….
So she never got to dance to the music.
How many times do I miss the dance because I can’t step down and allow Him to press the button?
