Category Archives: Children

Creative Kids

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One of the blessings of having children around is their bent toward creativity. Our 3 Florida grands are spending a couple of weeks with us, and evidence of their prolific ideas is everywhere.

Skylar drawsFor example, when Skylar noticed condensation on the front storm door, she quickly turned it into artwork. When space on the glass ran out, she raced to the basement for paper and markers to draw the fresh ideas she’d gleaned while drawing on the door. Before long she had her own art show, along with a toy cash register for making change during sales.

 

Sand angel MicahAnother example: Micah loved our trip to the playground, romping on the monkey bars and slides till he got the lovely idea to make a snow angel in the sand. I watched as he stood to admire his work, deciding he could make a better one. He stomped all over the sand to “erase” what he’d made, and dropped down to repeat the process. Though there was sand in the bathtub that night, his joy in creating was lovely.

 

Autumn rides the boxA third example: Twenty-month old Autumn watched Emerald open gift after gift at her birthday party, but none of them were for her. When a big, colorful riding toy appeared, she decided to get creative, ignoring the actual present and finding satisfaction in riding the box it came in. How can we not applaud such imaginative thinking?

When God created the earth and those who live on it, he demonstrated the ultimate in imaginative thinking. And he did it all without supplies. Though we humans have figured out how to create/clone sheep, mice, and other creatures, it can only be done by using a living, breathing mother of the same species who can carry the embryo to term.

Life always and only comes from life, with one exception: when the scientist is God.

“Imaginative thinking,” the quality I love in my grandchildren, isn’t really the right label for God. The only appropriate one is Creator. Ex nihilo. Everything out of nothing.

Play DohI like to picture God forming the first human being from clay much like my grandchildren and I shape Play Doh. Did he lovingly craft Adam’s heart in his hands (and every other organ), enjoying the process of assembling him? And once this young man’s body was complete, did he lean over, mouth-to-mouth as we do in resuscitation efforts, and breathe life into him?

It’s a thrilling picture far superior to “imaginative thinking.” When I watch my grandchildren getting creative, though, I like to think it’s God’s way of “tagging” them with a bit of himself. After all, some of their best ideas just seem to come…. ex nihilo! And only God could be behind those.

“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” (Genesis 2:7)

A Sticky Mess

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Bumbo babyEmerald is a petite little girl who still fits nicely into her Bumbo seat. Although she can twist her way out of it, when she’s up on the counter, we’re monitoring her closely.

Usually.

Yesterday while I was making her lunch, she was happily fingering a basket of sippy cups and bottles next to her. But in 30 seconds, a mysterious pink liquid began sliding out from under the basket.

Sticky mess.

 

Somehow she’d undone the child safety cap on a bottle of infant ibuprofen, then set it back into the basket upsidedown, which released the syrupy liquid till the bottle was empty.

Of course she had no idea what she’d done, but she’d wasted valuable medicine, created a sticky mess, and postponed lunch for clean-up time.

Once in a while I act that way too, getting into things that will end up the same way: wasteful, messy, and time-consuming. The only difference is, I’m old enough to know better.

Scripture warns us to count the cost of whatever we do. We’re to be industrious, yes, but we’re also to commit our decisions, plans, and behaviors to God before plunging in on instinct alone. When we ignore that counsel, we pay a hefty price.

Even worse than having to pay, though, is the loss of God’s approval. If we want him to be on our side (or more accurately, if we want to be on his side) we have to do things his way. Those of us who give lip service to obedience but do things our own way regardless, have a problem with pride.

The Bible doesn’t mince words on this subject. We read, “God opposes the proud.” (James 4:6) He isn’t just neutral when we put our plans ahead of his; he stands in opposition to us. And if there ever was an uneven match, “God-versus-me” is it. I want to do everything possible to avoid being part of that scenario.

As always, though, God doesn’t issue an edict and leave us hanging. Right after he lets us know what not to do, he tells us what to do: “Submit to Me.” (v. 7)

Sounds easy, but isn’t. That’s because pride is stiff-necked and expertly resistant to humbling, and the devil is behind it, relentlessly tempting us to put ourselves first. Maybe that’s why God’s next instruction is, “Resist the devil, and he will flee.”

Working backwards, then, if we want no part of the devil –> we’re to resist him –> which helps us submit to God –> which helps us kill pride –> which brings on humility –> which allows us to be on God’s side.

All gone.So when my plans result in a sticky mess, I know it’s simply the Lord saying, “Let’s clean this up and try again.”

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble. Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:6-7)

Who knows?

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Skylar, Autumn, MicahHaving long-distance relatives isn’t ideal, since our together-time has to be minimal. But this week I’m pleased to be under the same roof with 6 of our out-of-town relatives: daughter Linnea, her husband Adam, Skylar, Micah, Autumn, and their baby brother who’s riding along in his mommy’s tummy. On our next visit, we’ll get to see and hold him, too.

When Nate was still with us, two of our grands had already been born, Skylar in Florida and Nicholas in England. But when he died, those two were still just babies, 15 and 10 months respectively. Nate never got the chance to watch them grow and change or to meet the other 6 (almost 7) that followed.

I consider it a huge blessing to have known them for as long as I have, even though the oldest is only five. But we can carry on conversations, play games, read together, share stories, bake cookies, and go places. Nate has missed out on all of it.

Or has he?

What’s the probability that he knows his 7 additional grands? Randy Alcorn wrote a book (based solely on Scripture) entitled HEAVEN. He makes a powerful case for Nate’s awareness of his grandchildren, citing passages in both the Old and New Testaments to substantiate that those in heaven know what’s transpiring on earth.

The girlsFor example, based on Revelation 19 he writes, “Heaven’s inhabitants are shown praising God for specific events of judgment that have just taken place on Earth. The saints in Heaven are clearly observing what is happening on Earth. Those on Earth may be ignorant of events in Heaven, but those in Heaven are not ignorant of events on Earth, at least some of these events.” (p. 24)

Another passage in Luke 15 refers to rejoicing that goes on “in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Alcorn writes, “Notice this Scripture does not speak of rejoicing by the angels but in the presence of angels. I believe it logically includes not only God but the saints in Heaven… If they rejoice over conversions happening on Earth, then obviously they must be aware of what’s happening on Earth… down to the details of specific individuals coming to faith in Christ.” (p. 25)

One boyAlcorn cites many other verses on which he bases his conclusions, making a strong case for heavenly minds being far superior to what we now have on Earth. The bottom line, if I believe Scripture, is that Nate does know all of his grands and hasn’t missed a thing. Theologians might debate that into the ground, but as one half of a grandma/grandpa pair, I want to believe it.

As we enjoy each other during these two weeks together in earthly Michigan, I like to think Nate will be having just as much fun watching from his heavenly vantage point.

“This is the plan: At the right time [God] will bring everything together under the authority of Christ – everything in heaven and on earth.” (Ephesians 1:10)