I've been a mom for a little more than three years, so I'm still relatively new at this (at least I think so,) and I recently experienced something for the first time as a parent.
We took a family trip to the zoo. We had a little bit of a ride to get there, and as we got closer, it was obvious that my little man was not feeling so hot. He started complaining that his ears were bothering him, and the more time passed, the worse he got. By the time we were inside the zoo, we were bee-lining it to the first aid station to get children's ibuprofen or an ice pack or anything else I could wrestle away from the attendant without getting thrown out. My poor baby was hurting!
After a trip to a local corner store, some Children's Advil, and a power nap, he was back to his little super hero self.
In the midst of all this, I experienced something I never had before. Both my husband and I had this supreme feeling of disappointment that our little guy was not going to be able to enjoy this adventure we had planned. After all, we had come here for him, and we were looking forward to watching him experience all the zoo had to offer.
Also fairly recently, I went on a run after a week of eating lots of things I don't normally eat. (Think dinner out, fair food, summer ice cream trips....yeah.) To say I was feeling "sluggish" is an understatement. It was more like, "Hey- look at these concrete blocks I'm wearing for shoes- yay! No PR for me today." Anyway- it was not fun. Definitely not enjoyable. Far from it. I normally enjoy running, but not that day. I had self-sabotaged and ruined my run before I ever started.
Scenario number three: you still with me? Hang in there. I have a point, I promise.
I take my kids to a local festival. There are rides there, but I don't have enough cash on me for my little guy to go on them, and there is no ATM in sight. I run into some friends. Another mom gives me the leftover tickets from her kids, then the ride operators let my boy go on for as long as he wants and for only one ticket per ride instead of four. Then, when we get to our last ride (because we're out of tickets) the operator gives us our two (last) tickets back, (essentially letting us go on for free) PLUS FOUR MORE tickets. I was flabbergasted! Shocked! Amazed! Perplexed!
After he rode to his heart's content, my Lil Guy asks for a slushy. Guess how much it costs? $3.00. Guess how much I had in my wallet? Oh- you're so smart! Yes- $3.00. Exactly.
What does this prove? What am I getting at with these three seemingly unconnected scenarios?
The Bible refers to God as our Father. Our Abba. Our "Daddy-God." Matthew 7:9-11 paints this picture for us:
"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
John 3:16 says,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
James 1:17 says,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The zoo, my run, our festival blessings all have one thing in common: parents enjoy when their kids enjoy themselves. God is my Father, and He, like me, is happy to see His children happy. He likes to bless His children. I wanted my son to enjoy the zoo, and once he was able to do so, I was able to enjoy him enjoying himself.
At the festival, I was so blessed that God, my Father in Heaven, was concerned enough with me to provide a way for my son to enjoy himself, so I could enjoy him enjoying himself.
On my run- I was not enjoying myself, but God knows that I enjoy running. He wants me to have fun running because He is my Father, and my Joy is important to Him, but I had ruined that experience with my own foolish choices.
I think sometimes we forget that God is a parent too. We get so caught up in the "I'm doing great"- "Shoot, I messed up (again)"...cycle, that we make our relationship with Him more complicated than it has to be.
As parents, we are created in His image. God has experienced everything we experience as parents and so much more. He finds joy in our happiness. However, let me be clear- He is not a genie in a bottle, and our wish is not His command. He will not grant us whatever we want to put a smile on our face, just as we would be over- indulgent if we did the same for our kids. God's blessings are tempered with wisdom, and even though He wants us to be happy, He will not sacrifice our souls to put a smile on our face.
Ironically, His love for us caused Him to give His ONLY son, so we could be saved. I am certain His parent's heart was breaking. Wouldn't yours?
It can all be summed up in this phrase: I'm happy if Your happy.
God's happiness does not depend on us, but our happiness is important to Him
because He loves us. God wants us to be happy. He wants to bless us.
He wants to enjoy us enjoying Him and the life he's called us to live, but sometimes our own foolish choices get in the way.
So today, as you set about your day, be aware of the choices you are making. Are they wise choices? Are you living the life God has called you to live?
As I live today, I'm going to attempt to enjoy every minute. I'm going to enjoy every mess....every boogery nose, every bedtime story and superhero impersonation, every trip to the grocery store, and every "first" step, fall, poopy on, and we have. I know God wants me to enjoy what he has given me because that's when I find I'm enjoying Him most too.
We took a family trip to the zoo. We had a little bit of a ride to get there, and as we got closer, it was obvious that my little man was not feeling so hot. He started complaining that his ears were bothering him, and the more time passed, the worse he got. By the time we were inside the zoo, we were bee-lining it to the first aid station to get children's ibuprofen or an ice pack or anything else I could wrestle away from the attendant without getting thrown out. My poor baby was hurting!
After a trip to a local corner store, some Children's Advil, and a power nap, he was back to his little super hero self.
In the midst of all this, I experienced something I never had before. Both my husband and I had this supreme feeling of disappointment that our little guy was not going to be able to enjoy this adventure we had planned. After all, we had come here for him, and we were looking forward to watching him experience all the zoo had to offer.
Also fairly recently, I went on a run after a week of eating lots of things I don't normally eat. (Think dinner out, fair food, summer ice cream trips....yeah.) To say I was feeling "sluggish" is an understatement. It was more like, "Hey- look at these concrete blocks I'm wearing for shoes- yay! No PR for me today." Anyway- it was not fun. Definitely not enjoyable. Far from it. I normally enjoy running, but not that day. I had self-sabotaged and ruined my run before I ever started.
Scenario number three: you still with me? Hang in there. I have a point, I promise.
I take my kids to a local festival. There are rides there, but I don't have enough cash on me for my little guy to go on them, and there is no ATM in sight. I run into some friends. Another mom gives me the leftover tickets from her kids, then the ride operators let my boy go on for as long as he wants and for only one ticket per ride instead of four. Then, when we get to our last ride (because we're out of tickets) the operator gives us our two (last) tickets back, (essentially letting us go on for free) PLUS FOUR MORE tickets. I was flabbergasted! Shocked! Amazed! Perplexed!
After he rode to his heart's content, my Lil Guy asks for a slushy. Guess how much it costs? $3.00. Guess how much I had in my wallet? Oh- you're so smart! Yes- $3.00. Exactly.
What does this prove? What am I getting at with these three seemingly unconnected scenarios?
The Bible refers to God as our Father. Our Abba. Our "Daddy-God." Matthew 7:9-11 paints this picture for us:
"Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
John 3:16 says,
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
James 1:17 says,
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
The zoo, my run, our festival blessings all have one thing in common: parents enjoy when their kids enjoy themselves. God is my Father, and He, like me, is happy to see His children happy. He likes to bless His children. I wanted my son to enjoy the zoo, and once he was able to do so, I was able to enjoy him enjoying himself.
At the festival, I was so blessed that God, my Father in Heaven, was concerned enough with me to provide a way for my son to enjoy himself, so I could enjoy him enjoying himself.
On my run- I was not enjoying myself, but God knows that I enjoy running. He wants me to have fun running because He is my Father, and my Joy is important to Him, but I had ruined that experience with my own foolish choices.
I think sometimes we forget that God is a parent too. We get so caught up in the "I'm doing great"- "Shoot, I messed up (again)"...cycle, that we make our relationship with Him more complicated than it has to be.
As parents, we are created in His image. God has experienced everything we experience as parents and so much more. He finds joy in our happiness. However, let me be clear- He is not a genie in a bottle, and our wish is not His command. He will not grant us whatever we want to put a smile on our face, just as we would be over- indulgent if we did the same for our kids. God's blessings are tempered with wisdom, and even though He wants us to be happy, He will not sacrifice our souls to put a smile on our face.
Ironically, His love for us caused Him to give His ONLY son, so we could be saved. I am certain His parent's heart was breaking. Wouldn't yours?
It can all be summed up in this phrase: I'm happy if Your happy.
God's happiness does not depend on us, but our happiness is important to Him
because He loves us. God wants us to be happy. He wants to bless us.
He wants to enjoy us enjoying Him and the life he's called us to live, but sometimes our own foolish choices get in the way.
So today, as you set about your day, be aware of the choices you are making. Are they wise choices? Are you living the life God has called you to live?
As I live today, I'm going to attempt to enjoy every minute. I'm going to enjoy every mess....every boogery nose, every bedtime story and superhero impersonation, every trip to the grocery store, and every "first" step, fall, poopy on, and we have. I know God wants me to enjoy what he has given me because that's when I find I'm enjoying Him most too.