Unexpected

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Last week I blogged about Emerald’s little lost boot (Booted). She loved those boots in particular because they were just like her mama’s, but she hadn’t quite grown into them. The day the boots slipped off her feet it was snowing hard, and Emerald was being carried to the car. We didn’t notice they were gone till we were 20 miles away.

Snowy bootAt the end of that day, we’d found one of the boots buried in snow, but I was sure we wouldn’t find the other till the spring thaw.

Nelson, Birgitta, and I all searched diligently, but finally gave up, letting the little black boot go. I even stopped asking God to show us where it was, although I knew he could see it.

We kept the found boot “just in case,” but it only served to remind us of the one we’d lost. Then, lo and behold, today we found the second boot! Though I’d been in and out of my car a dozen times since it had disappeared, today for some reason I saw it. It had been in plain view all along, lying at the edge of Emerald’s car seat.

IMG_5162On one of those days I had set groceries in that car seat, and on another I’d used it to hold a stack of mail. We’d also buckled Emerald in and out of it twice. But more than that, we’d all inspected the car and especially the area around the car seat multiple times, but none of us had seen the boot.

Isn’t that sometimes the way we “find” new things in relation to our spiritual lives? We read books, listen to sermons, and attend Bible studies asking God, “Where is the answer to my question?”

But he seems silent, unwilling to reveal what we need to see. Until one day, when we least expect it, he sends a clear, concise answer.

Why the delay?

Maybe it’s because much of the time we’re moving so fast we miss what God is trying to tell us. Maybe we just aren’t ready for what he has to say until he finally opens our eyes to it. It’s also possible we think we already know how he’s going to answer us, so we can’t see his ideas for seeing our own.

But then all of a sudden, it’s right in front of us… just like Emerald’s boot.

IMG_5163Those boots are now ready for immediate use, since both have been safe and dry the entire time. The same goes for when God reveals what’s been hidden. Once he decides we’re ready, he lets us see it… and right after that we can put it to immediate use.

“I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord.” (Isaiah 45:3)

Good Ideas

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Skylar with pencilAll of my school-age grandchildren are being home schooled by their competent mothers. And as their grandma, I’m nervous about keeping up with them! These children are learning literature, history, and math at an astounding rate that will leave me behind in the not-too-distant future.

Take Skylar for example. At the age of 6 she can hold her own in a discussion of everything from past-participles to the Reformation. She’s studying Latin and can also recite which president did what. She’s learning about maps and can properly arrange the States of our country without any trouble.

IMG_2517But the other day she brought her magnet puzzle to her teacher/mommy with the USA assembled in a new way. Pointing to Florida (where she lives) she explained how she had intentionally placed it close to Michigan (where I live). “This is how I want our country to be,” she said, “so we can go right to Midgee’s house.”

That impressed me, since it means she has accurately understood that the distance in miles between us now prohibits quick get-togethers. She’s aware that traveling to Midgee’s house takes lots of time and effort, and locating closer would remedy that problem.

I like the way she thinks!

I wonder if God, as our Teacher, ever says something like that about us.

So often I feel there’s more about the Christian life that I don’t know than that I do. God has given us the Bible, our “home school textbook,” which could carry the subtitle, “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about the Christian Life.” Jesus was our real-life example of how to live it out, but even so, I have more questions than answers.

But what if God is watching us as we try to put the pieces of scriptural wisdom together and is saying, “I like the way you think!” What an encouragement that would be!

Maybe we shouldn’t criticize ourselves too harshly for not always living up to Jesus’ example. It might be wiser to think about God’s encouragement for us to simply keep on learning and growing.

Skylar GraceThere may be only one correct way to arrange the States of our Union, but when Skylar moved them around a bit, she was learning other things, like the distance between two points. More importantly, she was learning that wishing for something doesn’t make it so.

As we continue studying the Bible and as we work to put it into practice, w­­e might discover all kinds of new things God wants us to know – expanded ways to think about him and our lives in relation to him. And as we move the pieces around, we might even get to hear him say, “I like the way you think!”

“The Lord will give you understanding in everything.” (2 Timothy 2:7)

Booted

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Emerald's shoesDressing toddlers is tricky. Often they have their own outfit-preferences and make them loudly known. But even when they comply with Mommy’s choices, there’s no guarantee they’ll stay clothed, especially when it comes to shoes.

The other day, Nelson, Birgitta, Emerald, and I were running errands together shortly after a foot-deep snowfall. As we got out of the car at our first stop, we noticed Emerald’s snow boots were missing, and she was in stocking feet. We searched the car but came up empty, leaving us no choice but to carry her… boot-less.

Once we were back at home, we thought surely we’d find her cute little black boots there, but no. This was especially frustrating, since they were new, and the snow was deep.

Lonely cold bootThat’s when Nelson headed out to shovel, and wouldn’t you know, right off the bat he spotted a boot peeking out of the snow from where it must have slipped off Emerald’s foot. Looking for its mate, he poked around, stirred the drifts, and carefully watched each shovel-full of snow as it flew through the air. But #2 never appeared.

Later we scoured the house again, looked once more in the car, and even prayed, but it wasn’t to be. Now we have one lonely boot awaiting its mate, useless without it.

Sometimes that’s exactly the way we are in our relationship to God: We’re off somewhere all by ourselves, unaware that we’re missing something very important. Oh, we can function on our own, just like Emerald could walk in the snow with one boot. But until she’s wearing both, their true purpose can’t be realized.

God wants us to come as close to him as two boots in a pair. When we do, we’ll learn about the exciting plans he has for us. But until we partner with him, our true purposes remain unrealized.

Lonely bootAmazingly, many of us choose that option, to go it alone, because we like the idea of controlling our own destinies. God has a destiny in mind for each of us too, but he’s not going to force it on anyone who doesn’t want it.

Some of us might say, “Because God is God, it’s possible his plans are superior to mine. So I’ll take a look at it, and then I’ll weigh one against the other.” But God doesn’t play that game. It’s either commit or forfeit. We either place our faith in him, or by default, we place it in ourselves.

It’s our choice.

As for me, all I have to do is picture Emerald walking in the snow with one boot on to be reminded that life works better in pairs – especially when one half of it is the Lord himself.

“As for me, it is good to be near God.” (Psalm 73:28)