"No, mama, don't make me go in there!"
In the moment, it was cute. For us it was not just cute, but adorable. For her embarrassed mother it was a less than wonderful moment, of this I am sure. In fact, I know this, as my son has a very bargain driven mother to say the very least.
While we went about our day I kept thinking about this little girl and her flustered Mom. How many times have I told my loving, patient and giving God the very same thing?
"No, God, don't make me go in there!"
Maybe it is a physical 'there', or emotional, or even more daunting spiritual 'there' He wants me to venture into to find the greatest blessings just through the wide open doors.
You see, friend, I've been the one standing just outside the doors of abundant grace and providence. I've pleaded, kicked, screamed, maybe even stomped throwing my fit. Maybe you have thrown a fit too? I believe the tantrums in life come from frustration, disbelief and maybe even a teensy bit of selfishness.
The beautiful, young, and loving Mom was probably seeking out the deal of the day to bless her daughter with new clothes, or maybe even an ornament for the annual Christmas tree. Maybe this Mom was even looking at this shopping trip as an opportunity to build her relationship with her daughter. Perhaps this was the 1st of many shopping sprees that this little girl would look forward to as she grew up, into elementary school, then the dreaded pre-human middle school years, and then the tender high school years where every interaction seems to matter more than the next.
Does our sweet Savior look at moments in time like this with us? I believe He does. After all, we are His kids. His kids that grow, make mistakes, throw tantrums, learn and slowly grow up. But we start as children!
What if the simple push of our passionate Papa leads us from one door of divine opportunity to another? From one moment of being unsure, to learning that if we trust, we learn, and if we learn, we can bless others, and then be blessed ourselves. This little girl first needed to learn how to keep up with her Mom inside a small department store, before she could go travel the streets of NYC. Just like this little girl who was probably going to go on other bargain hunts with her Mom, our generous God is taking us from a quick trip to JCPenny's to maybe the ultimate shopping spree to somewhere like New York City with unlimited resources. For the shopping diva's out there, this could be amazing right?
Maybe we need to learn from our faithful God to see the abundance of His goodness now, before we can begin to understand or grasp the bountiful blessings in store for us. He will never push us beyond what's good for us. Even, what is best for us.
So, from one dedicated sale-finding-bargain-hunting woman, to possibly another, let's remember this cute, blonde haired, blue eyed beauty who pushed against her Mama, pleading not to go into what could be a world of opportunities! We can make a choice. Throw an ungrateful fit or trust the blessings of walking through open doors. It is always our choice. I am making a choice to stop saying, "No, God, don't make me go in there!" anymore. How about you?
Be blessed,
Sarah