Emerald Louisa Nyman is only 4 days old, which means she’s had virtually no life experiences, and not much thought-life. Her miniature cerebral cortex is probably smooth, since rivulets and ridges come as a result of thinking hard and solving problems. (Pardon the over-simplification.)
As with all of us, the cerebral cortex plays an important role in remembering, paying attention, thinking, and language. Emerald has precious few reference points for any of that, which means her young life will be a succession of firsts for a long time to come. So, even though she’s only 4 days old, we decided to facilitate a few baby brain wrinkles today by taking her on her first shopping trip.
Because of that, it turned out to be a day of firsts for our little one: first journey away from home, first wind in her face, first rainstorm, first time in fleece outerwear, first trip to a store, first admiration from strangers, and on and on it went. Were we over-rivuleting her brain with too many firsts?
Probably not.
That’s because Emerald came equipped with God’s built-in defense system against brain overload. She ended up dozing through the entire excursion, oblivious to the long list of firsts unfolding all around her.
Something similar happens in our Christian lives, even those of us whose brains are well-wrinkled from years of problem solving. When we first come to know the Lord, our spiritual cerebral cortexes are smooth and inexperienced. We accept salvation much like a child, at face value and without question. As time passes, though, our understanding of God and his Word grows, generating questions that force us to use (and sometimes over-use) our spiritual gray matter.
When difficulties grow too big to manage, the word “why” comes up, and our brains go into spiritual overdrive. Circumstances often make no logical sense, so we over-think them and can’t understand why God won’t reveal the A -to-Z plans he has in mind, why he only gives the A and B.
We wear ourselves out holding onto the what-if scenarios that haven’t happened yet, when it might be wiser to follow Emerald’s example. If she’d been aware of the long list of firsts we had planned for her today, she would have stressed her new smooth cerebral cortex to the limit. As it was, she rested in the familiar security of her mommy’s arms and probably didn’t undergo any cerebral furrowing at all.
God must shake his head in amazement as he watches us waste time and brain power stressing over things that haven’t happened yet and probably never will. He’d rather see us relax and trust him to handle future details in the right way and time.
Meanwhile, just like Birgitta kept Emerald safe in her arms, God wants to carry us, too.
“I am he who will sustain you. I have made you, and I will carry you.” (Isaiah 46:4)
An excellent thought to begin my brain wrinkling day:) Blessings to you, Birgitta and Emerald.
Thanks, for this photo, and blog.
I have a feeling that Jack has a “perspective” on all these new events; please share his “thoughts”, as you are able.
Never realized those wrinkles have been working their way from the inside outward all these years! 🙂 And I love where Emerald’s right hand is…..newborn security– love with skin on!
I have had many sleepless nights this past year stressing over numerous thoughts that have, at times, stretched me into a wreck some days. Thoughts about how to go about “fixing” things in my life, how to make more money, how to recapture all that I have lost, how to make my way now that I am on my own with no income from a 30-year marriage that has ended. My savings is evaporating, I have no home to call my own, and no job at the moment. But, I have contemplated God’s Word and prayed for guidance over and over again in the midst of stress and discouragement. He has sustained me, and the truth is that I can no more fix anything myself than the cow can jump over the moon. And what I have found is exactly what Margaret details in her message, “relax and trust Him to handle future details in the right way and time”. In that wonderful reminder, I rejoice.
“Relax and trust God to handle future details in the right way and time.” I want to remember this throughout my days!
What a beautiful analogy, as always, Margaret.
Commenting for Linda; I, too, was in the circumstances you are experiencing..and turned to God for ALL my answers….and He was faithful on EVERYTHING.!! I declared (with my mouth) “Lord if I lose everything, I still have you and my integrity, so here I am, all yours”. He restored it ALL! As the song goes, “keep your eyes upon Jesus, the things of this world will grow strangely dim”…His Word is TRUTH, His presence is always a breath away, and His love never-ending. Hang in there, Linda.