Straight Parts

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Pro 3:5-6

Toddlers are....interesting.

I'm not sure how many people know this, but I've been blessed to be a mom of a very bold and confident toddler. If you've met her then you KNOW that she knows what she wants, when she wants it, and never has a problem letting those needs be known or setting boundaries. It's been fun learning her personality but it's not always easy or straight forward. Things tend to get dicey when it's time to do her hair.

Our fun-loving and exciting home very quickly turns into a battlefield on wash day. I just want baby girl to be presentable and she seems to be convinced that my sole mission in life is to torture her even though we were giggling and playing just minutes prior. I'm trying to look out for ole girl but she's so focused on doing things her own way that she can't see how I'm trying to help her and it made me wonder, "is that how God sees us when we try to take control from Him?".

I imagine it this way: God is trying to care for us, provide for us, engage with us but we won't sit still long enough to really receive the fullness of what's in store. Will our needs be met, yes. But because we struggle with discipline and don't quite understand how to apply it (very much like my strong-willed girl) we get the bare minimum instead of the "exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think" that is ready to be ours (Eph. 3:20).

All He's asking us to do is to be still and let Him do what He does. best. Let Him be God,

Let Him be

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon (The Most High God)

Adonai (Lord, Master)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

And I'll be the first to acknowledge that can be difficult to sit still and allow someone else to care for you. If this world has taught us anything is that people cannot be trusted. Good thing God isn't like us. His thoughts and ways are much higher than ours and He can care for us in ways we can't begin to imagine (Is. 55:8-9)

Or better yet, we allow fear and pride in the form of anxiety push us into this pseudo productivity that turns us into aimless energizer bunnies. That only leads to burnout and fatigue.

It's time we learn to sit still. It may not happen overnight. I don't expect my daughter to just miraculously have the ability to do it. But because I love her, and I want the best for her, I'm going to continue to show up when and how she needs it, even if she doesn't fully understand it now.