I was just putting my youngest down for a nap with my 3 year old trailing behind me. I was at the top of the stairs with my youngest in my arms AND 9 months pregnant and I felt and heard an explosion erupt from the diaper area of the little, innocent thing. With a nap VERY needed by my son (and mom), I began to feel the urge to scream! I did use self-control! However, all the diapers and wipes were down the steep, tiring, never ending, stairway! Normally stairs would not be that big of a deal, but carrying the extra load of pregnancy, getting my 3 year old to get his blanket, a drink, get a kiss from big sister, get a hug from big brother, and go to the bathroom, it was quite a process! So an interruption of changing a diaper and retrieving all the supplies was a test of patience that I had not planned! So to save myself the physical exertion, I decided to ask my 3 year old if he would help me and get a diaper and wipes for his little brother. He turned around with I think the smell of burning rubber under his feet! He was so anxious to help his mom, (or maybe just to delay nap time :)! Quite a few minutes later, he brought the wipes up to me with a huge smile on his face and said, "Here mommy, I'm a beeeg helper!" He didn't think about the stairs and all the extra steps he would have to take. He just couldn't wait to be a servant and use all that he had to please me.
Later that day, (during the much needed nap time that we did finally make it to). I began to recall that incident and God laid something on my heart. The eagerness of my 3 year old to serve his mommy, is the exact way the way He desires us to be with Him as His children. There are times in our life when things are going pretty smooth and then something unexpected happens. A dirty diaper! We can make a choice to make excuses and think of ways to get out of something that God wants us to do OR we can look to God when He asks us to step out for Him. (Like my little 3 year old did for me. No questions asked, the smell of burnt rubber under his feet.) God wants me to obey with the anticipation of pleasing Him! My 3 year old did not consider how much quicker and easier if would have been for mommy to get the diaper. He did not look at all those stairs and how much work and effort it would take HIS little legs! he just went! God will ask things of us that we may think surely He could find somebody else who better fits the role or task He asks of us! I have said to God, "Surely there is a mother out there that could raise 11 children better than me God! Don't you see how weak I am?! This is hard God! Why do you trust me so much?!" He responds by letting me know that when we are out of our comfort zones and we are feeling weak, that is where He can show us His strength! We just need to be willing to say, "Okay God. It is tough and I don't always understand, but here I am!"
I told my 3 year old what a "beeeg" helper he was to mommy and how much I appreciated his help. You see, I could have done it my self! I did not NEED him to go downstairs fro me! I just asked him to help me. God does not NEED us to help Him. He could use a tree if He choose to! He just asks us to help Him and hopes that we obey and serve Him because that is what He desires from us! If we are eager to serve Him and with joy, do what He has called us to do, He will ask us to do more and more for Him! That will bring great contentment to our hearts and great pleasure to Him! That should be the greatest desire in our hearts is to please our heavenly Father! Just as my 3 year old pleased me, my Heavenly Father will be pleased with me when I chose His way! Hopefully, from now on, I can look at those "inconvenient" dirty diapers as a reminder of the role He has for me and how He HAS equipped me for this role as a mother if I look to Him! Bring on the diapers!
1 comment:
Heather, that post was excellent!! Attitude makes a huge difference...if we could all be like your little boy.
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