Better Not Pout
With our 5 little grandkids all under the age of 4, family gatherings have evolved into attempts at controlled chaos and making sure the right soother gets to the right child. These days are busy but they are creating some fun memories in this new season of life. Just this past Christmas, one of my highlights was being able to bake with our two oldest grandchildren during one of their visits. The three of us had so much fun together making buns. Delight and flour covered their sweet faces as their little hands punched the puffy dough. Each of them stretched and pulled to their hearts content. Finally, when they had enough, they formed the dough as best they could into buns like mine and placed them on their pans. Then we baked them and enjoyed every bite.
Days after the grandkids had gone home; I was caught up in discouragement. Well, if I’m 100% truthful, a pouting session over my lack of strength and abilities since surviving cancer 5 years ago. Chemo left me with some keepsakes, if you want to call it that (Lord forgive me for my complaining). Our enemy enjoys reminding us at every opportunity that “we are weak” and “unable”. Spiraling in my self-pity, I forgot to guard my heart as God’s Word warns us. I had left the trap door of my joy tank wide open for our enemy. Yes, the one who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking to steal, kill and destroy our joy. My joy completely drained away in the hours I spent considering what I wasn’t. Then I guess, when God thought I had pouted long enough, he reminded me of that sweet morning with my grandkids. I had invited them to join me in a task I was fully able to do on my own. They hadn’t prepared or prepped but simply came as they were, when the invitation was given. I invited them to join me - not because of my need or their giftedness but because of my love for them. It warmed my heart seeing their joy in working alongside me.
Suddenly, I saw similarities in what God does with His “kids”. He invites us to join Him in doing what He is fully capable of doing on His own. He doesn’t need help to reveal His own glory or draw others to Himself. Only because of His deep love for us does He includes us in the mission. Why should I even consider my own strength or ability when it is not what He needs? What could I offer Him anyway? He is no debtor, He has no lack. God simply delights in inviting us to join Him, in hopes to watch our delight in working alongside our Father, seeing Him do what He is so good at.
My grandkids could have created such a different memory if the whole time we were in the dough they pouted because they only saw their lack. Though our strength is little and abilities are small, it is more about our participation. God’s desire is for us to accept his invitation and experience delight in working alongside of our Father. Because of His great love He says come. Come as you are and praise His name for He continues to do amazing things while allowing those who have joined Him to taste and see that He is good.
“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything”.
(Acts 17:24-25)