Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Fitful Rest

I watched him- little Jake, that is- screaming like there was no tomorrow..ooo...the back arch to avoid being buckled into the car seat, the feet kicking, arms flailing. Smart kid. Patience, patience, I silently reminded myself...

"Jake, honey, please get in your car seat." "BO." "Jake, honey, please get in your car seat or Mommy will put you there." "Bo. I do it." "Thank you Jake. Now, please get in your car seat." "BO." And so the battle continued...

Imagine, every "bo" punctuated with high pitched screams and hysterical cries. Onlookers gathering...including a sheriff -oh yeah. It was really quite amusing. I remembered these days from long ago with another son..and I smiled. I couldn't help myself. Years ago, it would have been a battle of wills that left me frustrated, maybe even angry...but this time, I knew better. I knew that in the end, Jake was going to be right where I wanted him...safely belted in his seat.

How many times have I done the same thing in my walk with God? How many times have I arched my back, kicked and screamed because I thought my ways were better than His? How many times did I plead with God to just give this one thing? How many times did I try to tell Him no? Oh, I've been where Jake is...and ya know what? It ended the same...I obeyed God, sank exhausted back into the safety of His arms, and rested.

The end of Jake's fit came unexpectedly, 10 minutes into it...he looked at me with his tear-stained, snotty face and crawled into the car seat, exhausted...and (smile) asked for my help. Poor. Exhausted. Little. Guy.