Early one morning while driving to work I stopped at a traffic light and was immediately drawn to a young boy who was on the sidewalk walking and crying. Approximately one half block in front of him on the incline of the sidewalk was this boy's dad, slowly but steadily walking. My first inclination was to criticise this young man for not paying attention to his crying toddler who certainly had no means to catch up with Dad. I was appalled, and my thoughts were "How could this dad be so mean and inconsiderate of his son's crying? Didn't he realize that the boy would never catch up to him?"
Tears welled up in my eyes as I wore my grandmother hat that morning. The nerve of that young man to make his son fear that his daddy was leaving him behind! "How could he be so insensitive?" "What's wrong with society today? " On and on my thoughts raced until in one split second the dad finally stopped and turned around to wait for his son. Oh what a moment in time that was. The little boy ran to his daddy as his daddy opened his arms to receive him. All crying stopped, all fear was gone!
Isn't that just like us. Jesus keeps walking and leading us as we fall more and more behind wondering if we will ever catch up to Him. We cry and stomp our feet and scream, "Wait for me Lord!" All the while the Lord is keeping a steady pace, leading us in the direction of that straight and narrow way that leads to life that is abundant in Him. Then, in a second when we feel like we cannot take another step, He turns and receives us into His arms and we are safe and protected from all fear. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to "trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." (NIV)
I had no idea what was in the mind of that young man. I did not understand the lesson that he was teaching his son. Likewise, when we are stomping our feet and having our tantrums, our Heavenly Father is planning for us a lesson, a way out of our calamity. We need to learn to trust Him and follow Him wherever He leads us and forever how long he desires us to wait. 'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "He guides me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:3) NIV
Next time you find yourself running to catch up, don't fret. The Lord will turn to receive you in due time.
Joanne
Life Together - Small Groups is a place to blog about the reflections of small group ministry. Find and share resources, humor, favorite sites, studies, and anything else that will edify small group ministries.
Wow, great post! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt got me thinking about so many different things and lessons in my own life. Disciplining my kids is so hard for me. I have a tendency to rely on my husband to be the strict, rule enforcing parent. I make rules, but I feel guilty when I enforce them.
The truth is that I am simply disciplining and trying to teach my our children lessons. I want them to grow up to be kind, respectful, courteous and honest. I have never looked at it from the perspective that God may indeed feel the same way. It would be nice to just spoil our children and to give, give, give, but we would be doing them a great disservice. They are thinking about the benefits NOW, we are thinking about how they will benefit in the FUTURE.
Thanks again!