As I read through old blog posts, editing them to see if there is a book somewhere in all of this, I thought I'd repost this old post from September 2011. It was a time of only little boys, and yet today my girls took a splashy, wet journey home!
Me and the husband have very different approaches to a trip out with the boys. I like to enjoy it from the beginning; making the picnic lunch, getting the bags ready, talking to the boys about it, and leisurely heading to wherever we are going for our day's fun, enjoying the journey on the way. The husband however, thinks that the fun starts once we are at the designated place. He’ll be the most fun dad ever, when we are there. This difference in approach has caused many a little discussion on days out. Me and the boys enjoy asking him if we’re there yet, to help pass the time on the journey.
I was amused yesterday at a journey I had with a friend. Our destination was a mum's prayer group, not very far away, after the school run. Sounds simple enough. But the journey seemed less than simple. It was delayed by a hospital phone call, with a detour due to three fire engines, much loved by boy in the back. There was an errand to run on the way. There was traffic. There was the beeping of horns and even a man dressed as a pizza who attempted to slow us down as he stepped in front of the car. There was a phone call from my friend's husband, a closing window of a sleeping baby and the school pick-up time restraint at the other end of the morning.
The destination in our relationship with God, is that one day we will be citizens of Heaven. However, so much happens on the journey from first knowing Him, to being with God forever. Life and stuff along the way, shapes us and causes us to grow. It depends of course, on which route we take, and how much we trust God to lead us. But it is all part of the moulding and shaping; making us more like Jesus, and more expectant of the Heavenly destination.
With these thoughts going through my mind, I decided to let the youngest two walk at their own pace on the lunchtime school run. It was sunny and I had no plans, and I wanted to see what the journey would look like and what it would teach me. It took thirty minutes instead of ten, which for someone a little on the unorganised side of life was a nice change from the last minute rush!
The boys ran giggling, they stopped to pick up ants, they stopped to look at a brick, one of them tripped over, one of them needed discipline for disobedience, they climbed up a steep muddy bit while I stuck to the path, they went their own way, the same one tripped up again, they were scared by a dog, they rescued a baby snail, they walked up and rolled down a hill, they looked for more dogs, they sat down, they climbed on a fence, they wandered aimlessly, and there was very nearly a dog poo incident!
My role on the walk seemed to be to encourage them to keep walking, leading from the side-line. I asked them about their day, took an interest in the baby snail and the ant. I held their hands when they were near the roads. I kept them safe from dogs, and enjoyed their laughter. I tried not to get hurried or bored with their slower route. I picked them up when they fell and reassured them to go again. I guess it made me think about how God keeps me safe, how He encourages me to keep going and how He leads the way, for me to follow Him, how He takes an interest in my life and how He loves me dearly, but how He also allows me to make my own choices.
The boys ran giggling, they stopped to pick up ants, they stopped to look at a brick, one of them tripped over, one of them needed discipline for disobedience, they climbed up a steep muddy bit while I stuck to the path, they went their own way, the same one tripped up again, they were scared by a dog, they rescued a baby snail, they walked up and rolled down a hill, they looked for more dogs, they sat down, they climbed on a fence, they wandered aimlessly, and there was very nearly a dog poo incident!
My role on the walk seemed to be to encourage them to keep walking, leading from the side-line. I asked them about their day, took an interest in the baby snail and the ant. I held their hands when they were near the roads. I kept them safe from dogs, and enjoyed their laughter. I tried not to get hurried or bored with their slower route. I picked them up when they fell and reassured them to go again. I guess it made me think about how God keeps me safe, how He encourages me to keep going and how He leads the way, for me to follow Him, how He takes an interest in my life and how He loves me dearly, but how He also allows me to make my own choices.
Sometimes that means I take the wrong path, sometimes I go the more difficult route, sometimes I need discipline, sometimes I get scared, sometimes I get distracted and sometimes I end up in dog poo. But just like I didn't leave my children to go it alone, my Heavenly Father doesn't leave me to go it alone either. And I know it shapes me as I journey on, trusting His ways. I guess I learnt from my two adventure-seeking giggly boys today to slow down a bit and enjoy it, rather than keep asking God if I'm there yet!
"But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,
by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."
Philippians 3v20-21
"But our citizenship is in heaven,
and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body,
by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself."
Philippians 3v20-21
Always thought provoking Emma, Loadsalove P & J xxx
ReplyDeletethank you x
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