Well, we had our trip to see the nieces and "Play with them". We did try to do a few special things, but we also just spent time playing in the backyard or drawing pictures. I have the rotator cuff pain to prove it. We spent a lot of time just pushing Kendall on the swing. For a girl with a very short attention span, she can swing for a long time! Following are a few more lessons I learned from observing her.
Kendall would often retract her love when she didn't get her way. Of course it only lasted until that moment was forgotten and then she was soon loving us again. Well...until the next infraction. I once again saw ourselves reflected in her actions. Oh, we are much more sophisticated than she, but in the end our actions say the same thing. Whether it be toward others around us or God, we often determine our love by what we get out of it. And especially with God, we hold it against Him if we don't get our way.
I am so thankful that God doesn't love in this manner! His love is everlasting and depends upon Him, not us. He is love, and Romans 8:38-39 tells us that nothing can separate us from His love. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
As a Christ follower, I too am supposed to love in this way. It is a high calling and one I long to fulfill, yet I often fail. With man it is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). The good news is that I am forgiven and God's Spirit lives in me to convict me when I am wrong and to empower me to live right. Therefore, I have hope.
And even as I love my nieces, though they whine and at times demand their way or throw fits, so God loves us. And He longs to be our help and deliverer.
Kendall also wanted to be so independent that she would struggle and get upset over something that I could easily help her with. I would offer, but she would not accept until she was at the end of her rope. I thought how much easier it would be if she would humble herself and let me help her. Again I am struck by the mirror she is of us and God.
How many times do we struggle and throw fits because we can't get life to workout how we want. God is longing to help us if we would only humble ourselves and trust his ways. We too often wait until we are at rock bottom and have no other option. We could save ourselves a lot of trouble and anguish. Not meaning that everything will work out how we want, but that we can have peace and confidence in our God to work all things for good (Romans 8:28).
I know in my own life, that I may not have always gotten what I wanted, but I have never been disappointed in God's care for me. When I trust in Him, I am not put to shame. He does more than I could ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).
And so, this is my prayer for us all: "May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace as we trust in Him, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13
