Trust Like a Tot

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It was God’s delightful idea to make miniature people and send them to bigger people to raise, a phenomenal plan. And he intends for us big people to learn a great deal from the little ones.

To be a child is to be something spectacular, a person who exhibits innocence, submission, trustfulness. These characteristics are especially true in one-year-olds. I’m privileged to have two of them among my grandchildren, Nicholas, from England, and Skylar, from Florida. And it’s been my joy for the last couple of weeks to have Skylar staying at my address. (This is a re-post from June, 2010.)

I’ve never known a more enthusiastic person than this one-year-old. She’s up for anything, which includes trying strange foods, meeting new people, petting any animal, and swimming in Lake Michigan. When others are hesitant, Skylar is eager.

DIGITAL IMAGEThe other day Klaus was enjoying Skylar at the beach, asking her if she wanted “to fly.” Of course she did, and he began throwing her as high as his arms could do it. She squealed with laughter, never doubting for an instant he’d catch her securely every time. Klaus ran out of energy long before Skylar ran out of wanting to be tossed.

The picture we snapped that day exemplifies perfect trust. Skylar’s face is devoid of worry, and she’s able to take pleasure in an event that actually has the potential to turn out badly for her. She knows how it feels to get splashed in the face or get water up her nose but isn’t thinking of those “what ifs.” Instead she’s trusting all things will work together for good. Have we heard that someplace before?

For those of us who are God’s children, our relationship with him is based on trusting him 100% without injecting doubt by unnecessary “what ifs.” We trust the Gospel to be true (see John 3:16) and strive to base our lives on trusting God the Father and Jesus the Son, one-on-one. But there’s the rub: we strive.

We think, “What if he looks away and doesn’t catch me? What if I plunge under water? What if he doesn’t act on time? What if he catches me but the landing hurts? What if I’m too heavy for him to hold me tight?”

Here’s a better what-if than all of those: “What if we could all trust God like one-year-olds trust us?”

We’d probably all know how to fly.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. I praise The Lord for a relaxing weekend away from cities, noise and hospitals.
  2. Please pray for perseverance. I find myself dreading chemo-Mondays and Tuesdays more and more. Tomorrow is #7.

Happy Freedom

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Patriotic FlowersThis weekend is all about red, white and blue. Mom trained us well, and we, in turn, trained our kids: dress patriotically even if it’s out of style, and yes, a Cubs shirt is just fine.

Our family, like many others, loves the colorful part of the holidays: red and pink for Valentine’s Day, yellow and purple for Easter, etc. Today it’s all about stars and stripes, flags and fireworks. Never mind that Nelson nearly lost his hand when a firecracker exploded too soon years ago. We still set them off with oooh’s and aaah’s after our hamburgers and baked beans.

But the 4th of July isn’t just about outfits and explosives. Yesterday I listened to a radio reading of the Declaration of Independence. Most of it is a list of the offenses suffered by the colonists under the rule of a British king. But the introduction and conclusion of the document describe the freedom these people craved. After paying the price of a bloody war, they finally won self-rule and independence. The 13 newly formed states became the beginning of our free nation.

Declaration of IndependenceIt’s interesting that the Declaration’s first section, The Preamble, includes what may be the most memorized sentence in our country. It’s the one that starts with, “We hold these truths to be self-evident…” God is mentioned as the Creator and humankind as “the created.”

Most interesting to me, however, is the end of this sentence that says the colonists believed all citizens had the right to pursue personal happiness. It further described what should happen to a government if that pursuit is thwarted: at a minimum, it should be altered, but if that doesn’t work, it should be abolished completely. A new government should be formed that “shall seem most likely to affect their safety… and happiness.”

I’m extremely thankful I live in the USA and can live within the freedoms mentioned in the Declaration of Independence. One of them is that I’m free to decide whether or not to make happiness a life objective. I don’t often wrestle with this, since putting myself last on the happy-list is difficult. On rare occasions when I do it, though, the strangest thing happens. Happiness results. It’s one of life’s thought-provoking illogicalities.

Today I’ve made an effort to count my blessings, and living in a free land is high on the list. I’m thankful for those who fought for my freedom and the 238 years American citizens have enjoyed its abundance. But the best freedom of all is my option to openly follow God’s recommendations for finding happiness. And his declaration, the Bible, trumps even the very important Declaration of Independence.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)

Praising and Praying with Mary

  1. With great joy we announce grandbaby #11 arriving in January to son Andrew and wife Kim!
  2. I’m thankful for a safe and meaningful trip to Minnesota for the 4th of July.

Taking What Comes

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Tonight I’m munching on brightly colored gumballs, thinking of an incident that happened 36 years ago. Whenever we’d shop at the local grocery, the three kids we had at the time tried to behave well, knowing that if they did, there was a treat after check-out. A clear glass machine of mouth-watering gumballs stood near the exit, and if we got that far tantrum-free, it was gumballs all around.

GumballsNelson always led the way with his dime. Before dropping it in, he’d tell the machine what color gumball he wanted. “A red one,” he’d say, in a demanding tone. Inevitably it was a different color, and though he’d made it through the store without a tantrum, it usually happened then.

“I said RED!” he’d holler, throwing his gumball and occasionally kicking the machine. The next time we’d approach the same machine, Nelson was sure this time his command would be obeyed, though mostly it wasn’t.

Eventually he decided to let Lars, two years younger, have the first turn. Stepping into his older brother’s shoes, little Lars put in his money and said, “I want green!” When a white one came out, he started to whimper. But his big brother had learned by painful experience and dished out some good advice: “Larsy, you have to take what the gumball machine gives you.”

This incident became part of our family folk lore. Nate told the story often, and whenever life took a negative turn, he’d quote Nelson. “This isn’t the greatest situation in the world, but we have to take what the gumball machine gives us.” He even made that statement once in reference to his pancreatic cancer.

And that’s the thing about life. Much of it is handed to us without our permission and is contrary to our wishes. Just as Nelson wanted a red gumball, we want unblemished health, a secure fortune, contented relationships, and personal freedom. Inevitably one (and sometimes all) of those categories become “discolored.”

Nelson once suggested we find a gumball machine with only red ones in it so his dime would produce what he wanted every time. Interestingly, our lives would be devoid of growth if the experiences coming to us were all the same hue. It’s by way of receiving the “wrong colors” that we make colorful progress.

The reality of the situation is that God does have control of what comes to us, whether it’s a certain gumball or a life experience, and he wants us to learn that every “color” has significant flavor. But be prepared for anything, because once in a while, just for the joy of it, he’ll send a “red gumball.”

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8)

Praising and Praying with Mary:

  1. Thanks for continued prayer about the feeding tube, which is infected at the skin and just under it, requiring antibiotics.
  2. Pray against needing IV antibiotics if the oral doesn’t help.
  3. Praise God there are things to do to address the tube pain.
  4. And I’m thankful it gives me 900 calories each night as I sleep.