I was all about my 14 month old picking up his food with his hands and feeding himself. I oohed and ahhhed and clapped for him. All of the sudden though, he wanted to take control of the spoon. I knew handing over the spoon meant a huge mess for me, but he wouldn't give up. So I reluctantly handed over the spoon, found a plate to shield myself from the mashed potatoes that would surely be flung my direction and peeked over to see what he would do.
I watched his little tiny fingers grasp the spoon with delight and plunge it in to the mashed potatoes. The spoon was his, he now had "control." And then I had a revelation.
This must be how God feels.
God graciously allows us to take the spoon from Him even when we have no idea what we are doing with it. Then we do things OUR way and make a mess of things. But He doesn't leave us in our mess.
He loves us despite our mess.
So when Aiden wants to feed himself, I will do my best to guide his hand and to teach him how he should do it. I will be patient when my floor is covered in bananas and sweet potatoes and when bath time is required because he has syrup in his hair. When he makes a mess, I will be there to clean it up.
And as time goes on and he has watched me and practiced, he will eventually learn how to make a little less of a mess. This is what we should be doing too. Reading the Bible and learning from God's example how to live so that the messes we are bound to make can be a little easier to clean up.
I know that no matter how much of a mess Aiden makes with his food (or his life) I will still love him and want the best for him. And that my friends, is only a tiny smidgen of what God feels about us, His kids. Your mess is never too big for Him.
2 comments:
This is so great! Something I struggle with too. Good job Mama!!
I hear over and over again how parenthood shows us so much of how God loves us and interacts with us. I think you have again proven this point! Beautifully said, friend!
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