Whispers of God . . .
Musings on God in Life
Published monthly columns
by Mark P. Gonzales
Road Caps
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT TRANSFORMED LIVES
“Oh no, not again, Dad.”
“I think I just saw one. It’ll just take a couple of minutes,” he reminded his kids as he pulled off of a lonely highway. He loved taking the roads less traveled on their family vacations.
“Honey, would you hand me a plastic bag?”
As he stepped out to walk back a bit to find his treasure, the kids couldn’t help themselves this time: “Mom, why can’t dad have a regular hobby like everybody else?”
“Yeah, like sports, or working on cars, or gardening or something? It’s embarrassing when our friends come over and ask us about the gazillion caps on the walls of our garage.”
“Well, this is a hobby that means much more to your dad than you think. Maybe it’s time you hear why. Look, he’s about back. Why don’t you ask him?”
“Yup! I’ve got another good one!” he said as he waved the carefully sealed baggy.
“Dad, that’s one of the most disgusting ones yet. Who knows how many cars and trucks have run over it, or animals gnawed or peed on it!? Why in the world do you collect these filthy caps off the road and take forever to work out the stains and clean them up? Just order some new ones online!”
“You really want to know?” he asked as he pulled out to start down the highway again.
“Yes!” they said in chorus.
“You think they’re ready to hear it, honey?” She nodded.
“Okay. Well, way before you two were born and before your mom and I even met, I was a road cap.”
“What do you mean you were a road cap?”
“Well, without getting into the gory details, I got into all kinds of trouble with drugs and alcohol with some friends who were just as messed up as I was. Then we got into breaking into places and stealing things to pay for our multiple addictions, until we finally got caught.”
“Caught? Uh, did you have to go to prison?”
“Actually, yes. For a little while. I was angry. Wounded. Broken. In painful bondage. Feeling totally forgotten and left to rot in prison then, and on the streets later. And that was when I began to realize had badly I had trashed up my life. I was a road cap.”
“Oh. Wow.”
“But then I began to think about a couple of other friends who would invite me to go to some kind of church thing with them every now and then. They did it for years and I’d just laugh them off. But they weren’t into drugs and crime and prison, or anything close to that. So I decided to find them and ask them for help. They were delighted to see me, shocked that I was finally asking for help, and they began to walk with me, encourage me, and tell me about their walk with the Lord Jesus. And to make a long story short, the more I got to know the Lord, the more He cleaned me up.”
“So, the caps?”
“The caps are a reminder of what I once was, but how the Lord loved me enough to pick me up, clean me up, and still work on my messy spots. He never gives up on me, and I never give up on the dirtiest cap I find. Those aren’t caps on our garage walls. Each one is a constant reminder to me, of me . . . a trophy of the loving grace of God, not just for me, but for anyone. And that’s why I collect road caps.”
Grace Space
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT PATIENT LOVE
So I was heading out for work the other day when I noticed a service van two doors down that said “Lint-Out” with a phone number. I’d been meaning to call a service company to clean out our dryer vent which was waaay overdue, so I pulled over to take a picture of the name and number. But just then, the two service techs were coming out of my neighbor’s home to load up, and when I asked, they said they could do my dryer vent right then because it would just take 15 minutes. Yeah!!
They were quick and savvy, so when they finished I just had to ask: “On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad was my blockage?” Very gently, they replied: “Actually, about 9.5 . . . or maybe 9.9, dude.” Wow. There was little to no space for air flow and lint disbursement. Not good. Dryer stress. Fire hazard. Whew!
A few days later, a couple of knot-in-your-stomach issues came up at work. You know the feeling. Your mind starts spinning, your breathing gets shallow, muscles tighten, jaw clenches, and eyebrows get furrowed as you think through a host of options and possible impacts. In short, we get clogged up. And if we don’t deal with these reflexive responses to people or problems that stress us out, that clog can get bigger, harder and even dangerous as the years roll by. We need to get it cleaned out. We need get and grant “grace space.”
Grace is one of the most powerful and supernatural forces in both the visible and invisible world. It is that rare God-given attitude and act of being loving, kind, patient, and forgiving of the people that have and may still be hurting us. Like Jesus does when we hurt Him. But that is not our natural reflex. Our reflex is typically getting clogged up with anger, frustration, exasperation, accusation, revenge, and bitterness. And this will burn us up if we do not cultivate the humble art and reflex of receiving God’s grace space, and then channel that grace space to others. . .
Grace space to be works in progress.
Grace space to make big mistakes.
Grace space to be wounded souls.
Grace space to be misinformed.
Grace space to be venting anguish.
Grace space to be totally disoriented.
Grace space to have bad days.
Grace space to have blind spots.
Grace space for so much more.
Yes, this can be hard to cultivate and do, but here’s a thought that might help. . .
WE, need that same grace space from others for every one of those things as well. It’s a two way street, my friend. Always.
The Lord has a way of reminding me of that when I start clogging up about someone or something. And because He is indeed a God of amazing grace, He can clean out all of us on the spot, though sometimes gradually, to create plenty of grace space in our hearts to settle down and take a deep breath or two . . . so that we can also grant that grace space for others. Listen for those whispers from above, my friend. Life is too short to stay clogged up.
Let’s give each other lots of grace space.
Simple Complexity
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT GETTING CLARITY
So here’s a quote from famed scholar, physician, poet and humorist Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. I ran across that really got me thinking:
“I would not give a fig for the simplicity this side of complexity, but I would give my life for the simplicity on the other side of complexity.”
Wow. Woah. Hmmm . . . what readily comes to my mind… and/or heart… and/or soul… and/or spirit . . . is a little epistemology and existentialism; generous portions of theology and rationalism; spicy sprinkles of philosophy, sociology, relativism, pragmatism, and reductionism (think Occam’s razor); dashes of hermeneutics, exegesis, eisogesis, cognitive biases, logical fallacies – okay, wait — my head is already spinning. Let’s start over.
Uh, once upon a time, back when I was a small boy, my mom and dad taught me how to cross a busy street. Simple task, I thought. Just step off the curb and walk straight. Okay. Great. See you at the hospital.
So that is simplicity on the front side of complexity. I had no idea how complex it actually is to cross a street . . .
Look BOTH ways before you cross, not just one way. But that’s not all. Then look down for puddles, potholes, gutters, etc. And look up for traffic lights, signage and pedestrian signals that are there for a reason. And look for speeding bikes in the bike lane (I almost got hit twice in Amsterdam). And walk, don’t ride your bike across the street. And don’t jaywalk, use the marked walkways. And watch for cars zipping through center turn lanes. I didn’t do those last three things when I was 12, hit a moving vehicle with my bike, and was thrown across the road! Not good.
At this point, it may be tempting to adopt a seemingly simple solution: “Gee, then let’s just not walk across any street if it’s going to be this risky – let’s drive.”
Oh, so now you want to drive a high speed vehicle across those streets, eh? Now we’re really going to see what complexity looks like! But not here. Get your own driver’s handbook. No simplicity there either.
So, where’s the simplicity on the far side of complexity in dealing with life’s perpetual issues, challenges, and crossroads? At the risk of falling prey to a bit of reductionism myself, I’d like to crystallize my answer to that question with one word: humility.
Humility readily admits:
None of us have all the answers.
None of us understands all things fully.
None of us see every hidden factor.
None of us swim through all the layers.
None of us really have the bottom line.
None of us have a handle on life.
None of us are all-knowing.
Only God is.
Good news, right? Just breathe it in. Let Him in. “Be still and know that I am God.” Walk a little slower. Ask a few more questions. Be gracious with those who see and do things differently. Be a team player. Be grateful for tips along the way. Laugh when you mess up. Just say “whoops” when someone else messes up. Smile when you offer suggestions. Be secure enough to say; “I don’t know.”
This makes us a lifelong learner.
Someone who is easy to talk to.
A friend with a heart full of compassion.
A fellow traveler who loves to help others.
A pleasant soul who listens for His whispers.
Simplicity on the front side of complexity is most often naïve, insecure, hasty, and one-dimensional – looking only one way before crossing a busy street, yet still making confident assertions. Like the Pharisees. Very dangerous and hurtful.
Simplicity on the far side of complexity humbly sees the layers of complexity but can still keep walking… with simple help… simple trust… simple gratefulness… simple patience… simple kindness… and simple love.
For you see, true wisdom unfolds a layer or two at a time, and it is not always now. God loves to whisper just the right things at just the right time. Just keep listening.
Watchful Shepherd
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT RESTING IN HIM
Have you noticed how the 23rd Psalm is one of the most often used passages of Scripture in funeral services to remind us of the comforting heart of God? Rightfully so. It is a beautiful passage with poetic depth and breath. But it also gives us a marvelous portrait of God as our “Watchful Shepherd,” which can be such great comfort in the midst of all the confusion and chaos we experience at every level of life. But there’s a problem . . .
Depending on our upbringing, the idea of God watching our every move may have been spoken to us as a threat with a “You better be good, or else!” kind of vibe. How sad. But I have great news for you. The verses in Psalm 23 clearly paint a “I’m watching so that I can protect you” vibe that is the exact opposite of the scowling supervisor image of God that so many people mistakenly have. No, my friend, He is our Watchful Shepherd . . .
He makes me lie down in green pastures. Why? Because we run ourselves ragged with crazy schedules, ridiculously long “do-lists,” and frenzied decisions we have to make in our fast paced, over-choice world. Plus, as one speaker put it: “Human beings are the only species that when they get lost, they run faster.” But these are the times when God whispers: “Come away, My son, My daughter. Let’s find a meadow to eat and rest a while. Ahhh….”
He leads me beside still waters. When our hearts and minds turn into boiling seas from life’s frequent storms, that is the time to let Him lead us to still waters, to still our souls, to better hear His guiding whispers. As the Lord says in another Psalm: “Be still, and know that I am God.”
He restores my soul. These quiet times above are when the Lord restores and heals our ravaged souls which are constantly under attack by so many angry and damaging remarks, accusations, arguments, betrayals, solicitations, seductions, and philosophies in our graceless world. These are the tragic consequences of selfish and sinful hearts that not only impact our lives, but the lives of those around us. Which is why we need a Savior.
He comforts me in valley shadows. Whether it is in the multiple valleys of our lifelong journey and even in the “valley of the shadow of death,” He is always with His own . . . right beside us . . . inside of us . . . to calm our fears and take us through to the other side of our struggles, and the other side of our transition from this temporary life on earth, to an eternal life in heaven, to “dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
With a Shepherd like that, I am totally good with being a lamb, always under His watchful eye and often nestled in His caring arms. I don’t need to know everything He’s doing or even understand His ways . . . because I am learning to trust Him . . . and learning to cherish being on a “need-to-know” basis so that I don’t have to carry all the extra weight. That’s not my job, anyway. It’s His. So, I can rest in Him and be sent out to do things in Him. Whenever He says. Whatever He says. And all the while He’s keeping watch. Because He loves me. And He loves you.
Captive Hearts
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT FORGIVING OTHERS.
In my forty years of pastoral ministry, I have noticed that most of us don’t quite understand how forgiveness actually works. We give it a shot by saying things like: “Well okay, I’m sorry,” or, “If I offended you in some way, please forgive me.” The first is a lame statement, and the second is just a masked way of saying, “If you were so overly-sensitive to be hurt by my little thing, then I’m sorry.” Just doesn’t work, does it? So, let me see if I can get you started in seeing what forgiveness really is . . .
“To forgive is to set the captive free, and discover you were the captive!”
“What!?” you may ask. Okay, hang with me here. In Matthew 18, Jesus stunned Peter by saying we are to forgive people “70 times 7,” (a figurative way of saying, “all the time,” and “every time”). Then, after telling a story, Jesus also says that if we don’t forgive, the heavenly Father will allow us to be metaphorically tortured like the unforgiving servant in the story. Wow. So, let’s crystalize the point:
When we fail to forgive people (“I will never forgive ______”), the Lord allows the natural consequence of bitter blaming (an emotional cancer) and resentful gossip (a toxic gas) to hold our hearts and lives captive in what the Bible calls “the snare of the devil.” We are so blind to this; we actually think we are holding the other person captive with our disapproval or even hatred until they come to repent first. Wrong.
If that were true, then you would remain in captivity until the other person got their act together, right? But God has a better way:
First, we are to instantly forgive like Jesus did: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (“Wounded people wound people.”) Second, and harder, is to forgive like Joseph forgave his brothers (Genesis 50) for intentionally selling him into slavery! This can only be done on the supernatural level, for sure, and in a nutshell, that can only come from two confessions in this sequence:
Confessing to God personally. I John 1:9 tells us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Starting here is crucial as we let the Lord reveal to what degree we may have contributed to the wounding circumstances. When we own it and confess it vertically first, He cleanses us, leads us to forgive the other person, and settles our heart to then humbly confess that to one another. If we approach another without this, we make it worse.
Confessing to others privately. James 5:17 tells us: “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” Being set free and healed from unforgiving bitterness comes when we start with fervent prayer, and THEN in the resulting spirit of humility, we ask for, grant, and receive each other’s forgiveness in His mercy and grace. When we do, Jesus smiles, Jesus heals us, and our captive hearts are set free! If we don’t, we will stay chained in tortured bitterness
That’s a quick peek at the subject, but if you want to hear more, check out my website at markpg.org. Life is too short to be bitter!
Getting set free with you,
Pastor Mark
Princess Parties
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT CHILD-LIKE TRUST.
As I write this in early January to make deadline, I still have fresh memories of a Christmas celebration like we’ve never had before. Our three sons have grown up, married lovely young ladies who love the Lord like they do, and between them we have two incredible grandsons and four amazing granddaughters. Our oldest grandson, 11, and three of the granddaughters, 3 year old twins and their 3 year old cousin, were able to join us this year — oh, and they brought their parents with them, too. Boys I get, so I had my usual blast with my grandson, but those 3 year old girls . . . well, it was a whole new thing for me.
First, I’d tell you their names, but it doesn’t really matter because “they” were not with us on Christmas. Instead we were graced with “Ana,” “Elsa,” and “Moana,” and later “Ariel” and maybe some other princesses – I can’t keep up. We’re talking beautiful dresses, singing the songs, dancing and twirling, and my sweet wife (who finally has some girls to dote on) made sure we were well stocked with tiaras, bracelets, necklaces, scarfs and the like. It was a princess party kind of Christmas! Never did that before. And I couldn’t stop grinning.
But here’s the second thing. There was a big, constant challenge for me during those three epic days: regular invitations to enter into their magical little girl worlds. Hmmm, never did that before either.
“Papa Mark! Will you have tea with me?”
“Papa Mark! See my ballet steps?”
“Papa Mark! Let’s tuck in my baby.”
“Papa Mark! Want to come into my castle?”
“Papa Mark! Let it go, let it go . . .”
“Papa Mark! Can you skip like this?”
My wife had to help me. I learned. I smiled. I laughed. About 1.5 seconds after each invitation, I was taken in by our little princesses. Wrapped around their little fingers, to be sure. How could I resist? Their joyful hearts, sparkly eyes, and fanciful minds are princess parties waiting to happen wherever they go. And I love that.
As I think about their future, and my grandsons with their equally mesmerizing inner worlds, I pray they never lose that sense of wonder. Yes, the princess and super hero things will drift away as they grow, as they should, but I pray that they will continue to explore their worlds and their Lord with an equal sense of wonder that we should always allow for and cultivate in children. Let’s not try to “grow them up” too fast. Jesus often pointed to the children around Him and said: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Hmmm, maybe going to princess parties is helping me more than I think!
Twirling and singing with you,
Pastor Mark
Joyful Chores?
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT DAILY CHORES.
As I write this in my youngest son’s cozy office in his and his wife’s lovely Colorado home, I keep sneaking a peak out of one of the many large windows in his lodge-like home at the breath-taking beauty of a Rocky Mountain range laced with sun-splashed snow, including the local majestic landmark known as Pike’s Peak. Wow.
And yes we went skiing on Tuesday and just returned from snow-shoeing through a mountain forest on this Friday afternoon, so I am still basking in the unmistakable presence and whispers of God through it all. Ahhh . . .
But there has been another tremendous attraction for me during this 5-day getaway to be with my family . . . my two year old grandson, Finn! I’d offer you a couple of dozen pictures of him along with our other four amazing grandchildren, but alas, there’s this space issue for this column. So permit me to give you a glimpse or two . . .
Since my arrival in his home on Monday, I have watched Finn tirelessly do something most of us would almost never expect in any child, or teen for that matter: joyful chores! Really.
Yes, I know that to most families, a joyful chore is an oxymoron, but this boy loves to help his mommy and daddy, not just at the beginning, but all the way through the end – cooking, cleaning, whatever. He is such a finisher, if he is showing me his little train set, he’ll bring me all 18 railway cars, two at a time, until I have the whole set! Then he’ll do it again.
But one of my favorite things is when mommy and daddy ask him to throw away some stray papers off the floor. With pure focus in his little eyes, he will scour the room and put every last scrap in the trash, then, with his well earned triumph, he will spin around, put his tiny hands behind his back and saunter off with an unmistakable spirit of joy at a job well done! I love it. I am amazed . . . before my very eyes I see a mountain sized wonder: a boy and his joyful chores.
You know, when it comes to my every day chores, I think God will truly smile if when I grow up, I can be more like Finn.
Tolerating my chores with you,
Pastor Mark
Garbage Springs
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT HEAVY HEARTS
A missionary and a volunteer geologist were visiting a village in India to help them solve a very common problem in much of the world – the lack of clean water. The villagers were having to walk many miles every day just to bring back a very small amount of useable water to try to live on.
As they walked the area in and around the village, just a short mile away the geologist spotted an area that he thought might be a small former creek bed in this dry and dusty land. So, they followed it toward some rocky hills a few hundred yards away until they came to a large depression in front of a small cave opening. The problem was the depression was filled with all kinds of garbage, since it had been the local dumping ground for the village for longer than anyone could remember.
Checking the formation more closely, the geologist suspected that somewhere in that cave could very well be the original source of the water that once supplied the creek they had been following. So, they rallied the villagers to begin the hot, hard, extremely smelly, and dangerous work of clearing out the garbage dump that had also become the home of poisonous snakes and diseased rats.
After several days of work, they were finally able to enter the cave and begin to clear it out until one day, astonishingly, water began to bubble up from a small underground spring that had been buried for years by the cumulative mounds of garbage. With it all removed, the water flowed, the creek was filled, and an ample supply of fresh water was now available for all the nearby villages!
As I think about this in the context of all the churches, pastors, and people I have the privilege of working with, I can’t help but make the connection that all of us, this guy included, have areas in our lives and hearts where we’ve allowed garbage to be dumped over the years. Life is hard. We get hurt, lost, wounded, and then get drawn into a myriad of ways to try to numb ourselves to the pain. Distractions, amusements, and escapes that morph into all kinds of addictions then ensnare us in lifeless, joyless seasons of emotional exile. We’ve plugged up the spring well of love, peace, and joy we were in when, or if, we gave our lives to Christ!
So, why not grab a trusted family member, friend, pastor, mentor and/or counselor to help you dig a bit and clean out some heart garbage, my friend? Life doesn’t have to be a parched and joyless land. The Lord has so much to gush through you, not just for yourself, but for all of those around you as well!
Digging with you,
Pastor Mark
Two Schools
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT TOUGH DECISIONS.
Though my dad went home to glory several years ago, in many ways he still lives on today in the impact and wisdom he left in my heart and life. One of the many things he poured into me as a young teen that I have often remembered and practiced the last fifty years to my benefit, but also often forgot to my chagrin was this:
“You know, son, you can learn one of two ways in this life: through the school of hard knocks using the trial and error method, or through the school of wise counsel by learning from other people’s errors. It’s your choice, but tuition at the school of hard knocks is far, far more expensive.”
Wow. What was even more impactful to me than that truth itself, was the fact that my dad, though not perfect, did his best to live that way. I have vivid memories of how many people he would talk to and how much research he would do before pursuing a major project, like building a home for our family—twice, or making a big purchase, like a car or a color TV when they first came out. Of course, it drove my impatient little heart crazy that he took so long to make the purchase or start the project, but that just gave him the opportunity to teach me that “Impatience can be a very expensive character trait, son.” But back to the two schools . . .
With three full grown sons, three lovely daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren under 10 years old now, Lindy and I are watching them go through both schools in their life journey, just as we did . . . and still are. Really, you might ask? Aren’t you firmly and exclusively enrolled in the school of wise counsel by now? Uh, no. And why not? Well, because we are still human, and we still have blind spots and wounds from the challenges of life that sometimes jump start us into the trial and error school that gives us more hard knocks and wounds. The only good part of that is that it at least helps us give our offspring more breathing space to bounce in and out of both schools as well. Ahh, such is life.
Be that as it may, we still make ourselves available to offer them a bit of counsel here and there, and we still continue to seek out counsel for ourselves, especially from up above. The Lord is our Wonderful Counselor, you know. And when I think about how much we wince when we see our kids or ourselves paying high tuition costs in the school of hard knocks instead of heeding counsel, I can only imagine how much He winces when His children do the same. But, He is still . . . always . . . right there for us . . . willing to whisper in our ear . . . and save us a lot of pain.
Trying to listen more with you,
Pastor Mark
Elephant Bonds
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT FEELING TRAPPED.
The other day my lovely wife, Lindy, was listening to a wonderful radio preacher and later reminded me of a classic story he shared about elephants and their single ankle rope on a small stake that amazingly keeps them from running off from the fair ground.
The story involves a passerby asking the nearby trainer why the elephants simply would not yank it out with their obviously superior strength. The answer is that the same size rope and stake had been used on the elephants since they were much younger, smaller, and weaker, when they really were not able to pull free. They were, therefore, conditioned to believe they would always be unsuccessful in their future attempts to break free, even though at some point they had grown big enough and strong enough to do so. Kind of sad, but a great story, isn’t it?
Is that really true, you may ask? I wanted to know that as well. So, with a little digging, I discovered that, while it is indeed true, there are some additional and equally insightful factors beyond the conditioned response.
One story cited accounts of elephants who did break the bond of the rope and stake when a fire broke out. Another cited elephants who would break their normal bonds when they wanted to rush and meet another elephant that had been taken away and now returned. Still another concluded that, as long as the elephants were fed well, kept amused and never abused, there was no reason for the intelligent creatures to even try to break away. Thus, the mere hint of restraint was enough to keep them in place.
So, knowing that Jesus loved to use parables to help us in our lives, I started thinking: “Okay, Lord. What can I learn from all this?”
One takeaway that comes to mind is to keep asking myself if any of the limitations or fears I feel today are rooted in my assumption that my limitations of youth are still at play in my life, even though I have outgrown them, but never realized it. Hmmm. What a subtle prison!
Another is to ask myself if I have a habit of waiting for a fire to erupt before I try to break out of an area of bondage. Hmmm. Maybe I should ask some people I trust if they see any ropes and stakes in my life BEFORE a fire breaks out.
Or, how about this . . . Have I settled for far less achievement and destiny because I let my failures in earlier years convince me that I should be content with lesser goals, since I would never be capable of those attempted dreams, though I’ve grown bigger, stronger, wiser, and potentially more resilient? Hmmm. If I am continually seeing myself as weak and feeble, then I am in serious danger of getting stuck right there. Trapped again!
One last question: Has the ease of my fair ground life, regular feedings, amusements galore, and former successes kept me from experiencing greater heights and freedoms? Yikes! Another prison!
Hey, why don’t we access our growing strength in the Lord and break free of our little ropes and stakes, my friends? There is far more life beyond the fair grounds!
Breaking free with you,
Pastor Mark
Small Things
HEARING GOD’S HEART ABOUT REDISCOVERING LIFE.
I am getting a fresh look at small things in this life, especially when I hang out on the floor with our grandkids, four of the five under 2 years old and an extra sharp 8-year-old grandson. Life looks very different from four feet lower than I am used to viewing it, plus, there is something about being on the floor with them that helps me remember all the small things they are discovering from down there . . .
Chair and table legs. Adult knobby knees. Stray dust bunnies. Electrical sockets, with holes! High, no, very high ceilings. Dogs at eye level. Lots of cabinets. Oh, look, drawers too! Electrical cords.
And then there’s the joy of watching them be so amazed at small and simple things like . . .
Ice cubes. Toilet paper. Trash can contents.
Dog food. Squeezing Jello. Pouring out milk.
Tasting everything. Discovering fingers. Pointing fingers. Poking fingers. Sucking fingers. Cardboard. Window blinds. Dropping peas. Making snot bubbles. Squinting eyes. Forming words. Licking glass doors. Grunting. Rolling. Waddling. Throwing. Cuddling. Giggling. Fighting sleep. Pulling hair. Poking noses. Stretching ears. Wiggling toes. Stumbling. Falling. Crying. And making all kinds of noise, especially when they are together!
Lindy and I love it, and every time we think of them and what they are discovering in such small increments, it makes us smile. And then I remember . . .
No matter how old we are, we will always be children of God, and as His children, I believe He takes even more delight in us as we stumble through the small things in life, than we do with our grandkids. With a busy summer with the kids and grandkids at home more, there will be a ton of small things—good and bad – that will be filling the hours, days, and weeks ahead. And they can drive you crazy, or they can lead you to a fresh reminder of the delight of being on the cutting edge of discovery . . . and being a kid again . . . WITH your kids. And every time you do, God will smile, too.
Giggling through the summer with you,
Pastor Mark
Nests and Nestling