I have a little boy in day care right now that seems to ask ‘why?’ after everything I say. I change my answer depending on what I’m saying to him (or how many times I’ve already had to say it).
“Please, can you put your cup away?”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want it getting spilled.”
“It’s time to clean up.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s time for lunch.”…..
“Come on, clean up”
“Why?”
“Because we need to get ready for lunch”….
“Guys! Come on, clean up!”
“Why?”
“Because I said so!”
“Don’t stand on the chairs”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you to fall and get hurt”
There’s so many different scenarios that it happens and different answers that take place. I try to explain why I want him to do it (not just him but all of them) but sometimes I just need them to do it. I need them to not question me.
Often when I hear him say, “why?” I think of myself asking “why?”.
“Why can’t I have my own kids?”
“Why have I had a headache for almost 15 years?”
“Why were we in a car wreck… in a different state… on vacation?”
“Why am I still in pain?
“Why did I switch jobs just to lose it two years later?”
We don’t always get the exact explanations from God. He can say “Because I said so” and “Trust in Me”.
Trust.
Have you given that word any thought?
Here’s another example from day care.
I have some pretty… what’s the word… passionate?… kids. When a toy gets taken away or they want something and don’t get it or something else catastrophic, it’s the end of the world and they react. It’s not always just fit throwing but also ‘I’m going to take this into my own hands and get what I want”. So I need to make sure I’m there so WWIII doesn’t break out in my home.
Let’s pretend that it’s Jack and Jill. Jack is playing with blocks and Jill comes and wrecks his tower. Jack screams and wants to literally attack Jill but I start saying “Jack, Jack, Jack…” until I have his attention enough that I feel he’s hearing me. Then I tell him that I’ll handle it and I say “Trust me”. Sometimes Jack becomes calm enough where he’s still crying and telling me about it but he’s not attacking. Other times, he’s still pretty mad and it’s as if I’m not there.
I keep trying to get him to trust me so he doesn’t take things into his own hands.
Jill will get talked to no matter the outcome with Jack.
Another example that’s a little different kind of trust is when a child is already playing with something or has picked out a blanket for rest time. Typically this kind of trust takes place when they need to use the rest room. They aren’t allowed to have toys in the bathroom (for obvious reasons) but they get so worried about someone else taking their toys that they may just… well… ya know… not make it!
So what do I say?
Trust me.
You can have your toys back when you’re done in the bathroom. Please, just focus on what you’re supposed to do!
I’m asking these kids to trust me… ME… an imperfect, sinful human. God is asking me to trust Him… HIM.. a perfect, sinless, Creator, Just, Loving, Fair God!
Yeah, we’re talking toys vs life but seriously?!?
Like Jack, sometimes we want to take revenge in our own hands but we can’t. We have to trust that God has it handled. HE does, believe me… or better yet. Believe HIM!
He’s saying “Amanda, Amanda, Amanda, Amanda…..” (it takes a while before I hear Him sometimes). Then he says “Trust Me”.
Like the child not wanting to leave her toys to use the rest room, we want to protect our possessions or sometimes, as a parent, even our kids. There are situations where you have to trust God. We cannot be in control and protect everything and everyone all the time.
We have to trust God.
Last baseball season there was one game that I was sitting close enough to the 1st base coach that I could hear what he was saying.
As the guys run the bases they are supposed to TRUST the coaches. They are not supposed to look where the ball is but keep running if the coaches say run. They are to slide if the coach says get down. They are supposed to stay if the coach says to stop. If they look where the ball is going or coming, they could potential mess up not only whether they get out but the runner in front or behind them as well. They get off track where they’re running if they look away.
They are supposed to trust that the coaches will protect them. They are supposed to trust that the coaches will do what is best.
I actually heard the coach say “Don’t look for the ball! Just keep running. You gotta trust me!”
Let me get this right…. You want me to run around with a baseball coming at me and trust you?!?!?!
(Why? Because I said so!)
Again… trusting a human that makes mistakes sometimes vs God who doesn’t.
Did you know that baseball applied to life?
(neither did I!)
As we run through life, we’re supposed to TRUST GOD. We’re supposed to keep our eyes on the prize. (Phillippians 3:13,14)
If we look around and second guess things, we get off track. Things can get messed up. Personally, I add stress and worry that doesn’t need to be there.
Stress makes you think everything has to happen right now. Faith reassures you that everything will happen in God’s timing!
God WILL protect me. He WILL do what is best.
That’s the difference between God and the coaches. HE WILL and they are supposed to.
Humans make mistakes. We all do.
But we often expect others to trust us.
Trust.
I feel I have a lot of baseballs being thrown at me right now. Not just trying to get me out but trying to completely KNOCK me out!!!
July 28, 2017: Text to my sisters and parents “We’re off! Heading to D.C.!” Several texts happen but oldest sister says “Relax and have fun, Amanda!”
July 29, 2017: Driving 1/2 hour into our day, road construction. Nate and I are talking. I say, “I feel like I’m able to relax. First time in a while.” Nate says, “That’s good!” We both look over, see a guy waving his arms, look back in front, brake lights, BAM!, airbags.
(I’m shaking just writing about it and I’ll write a completely separate post about the wreck at another time)
August 6, 2017: Got home from vacation
Didn’t work the following week.
August 17, 2017: Terminated from job.
August 28, 2017: Restarted in-home day care
I’m constantly telling myself… OR (more often than not) being told by others… that God has a plan. He has allowed these things to happen. He has allowed the loose ends.
Faith in God includes faith in His timing.
I quoted a couple sayings that mention God’s timing and also mentioned the word Faith.
I do not want us to confuse the words Faith and Trust.
My whole point is Trust. Trust is hard. Trust is a verb.
Faith is a noun.
Faith is something in my possession. It is something I have. It comes first.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Trust is an action.
Trust is something you have to do. That’s why I’m writing. It’s not something that comes easily. It can be broken.
I’m sure you’ve lost trust in people before. I’m sure you’ve had to try to rebuild trust with people before.
I’ve heard this example before but I never knew the complete story.
Charles Blondin tightroped across the Niagara Falls. People on both the Canadian and American sides had faith that he could do it. They stood there and watched, fully expecting him to walk the entire length.
But… would anyone ride on his back?
That takes an action.
That takes TRUST.
His manager, Harry Colcord, did ride on his back across Niagara Falls.
This is the part that I had never heard before…
Blondin had told Colcord, “You are no longer Colcord, you are Blondin. Until I clear this place be a part of me, mind, body and soul. If I sway, sway with me. Do not attempt to do any balancing yourself.”
Two actions of trust. 1. Got on his back. 2. Didn’t try to counter balance.
Wow.
First, you all need Faith. Faith in God and not in yourselves. It doesn’t make life easier (I’m living proof of that!) but it does secure eternal life! If you do not have Faith, if you do not have possession of believing in God so that you may KNOW you have eternal life with Him in Heaven. Please message me, email me, text me. Anything!! It is so important!!
Any one of us could have died in our car wreck…. If it had been you, where would you be?
Faith is the first step. You need that possession before you can take the action of Trust.
As I’ve talked about, Trust is HARD!! Daily I’m asking kids to trust me. Daily I’m sure you’re asking people to trust you! Think about it…
What’s your job? Who do you talk to? What do you say to family or friends?
Are you expecting them to trust you?
All the more we should Trust God.
We can trust ALL of His promises in the Bible.
EVERY.
SINGLE.
ONE.
We can Trust that He knows what’s best. We don’t always get it!
Believe me! I don’t get what’s been happening in my life!
Trust.
That’s what He asks us to do.
“Why?”, I ask.
“Because I said so.”, He answers.
