This morning was chilly and blustery as I tried to get the kids out of the car and into the daycare building. I was running short on time (as usual) and so I was rushing myself and the kids. Just as we were ready to go inside, my girl sat down on the sidewalk. "I need to fix my shoe!" she informed me, ripping off her bright pink sneaker. "Can't you do this inside?" I asked, exasperated as the cold wind cut right through my warm sweater. A mom nearby chuckled at my question as she got into her car to leave. Kids, amiright?
Once I made it through the hullabaloo of daycare dropoff, I couldn't help but smile and shake my head over the incident. My daughter is not afraid to stop everything and stubbornly hold the line until her needs are met!
That phrase stuck with me as I drove away...Stop everything. Yet again, my daughter was preaching me a sermon without saying much at all.
Stop everything. At almost 5 years old, my daughter expresses her needs in real time. She cries when she's sad, squeals with joy when she's happy, and screams when she's mad. She'll ask for a snack the second she's hungry. If she's thirsty, she won't let you forget about it until she's had something to drink. And don't get me started on the number of times I've had to drop everything to go find a public bathroom. Matthew 18:3 advises us to become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. Really!?! God wants me to stop in my tracks every time a little need pops up and come running? I think that He does. Whether I'm disappointed, angry, in need, overjoyed, or stressed out, He wants to hear about it. In real time. Quite frankly, even with 25 years and a couple college degrees separating us, my daughter is vastly ahead of me in this regard.
Stop everything. Check in with your heart. Gather up every worry and mishap in your arms and run full-speed to the foot of the cross. God is ready to listen. And even more, He's ready to give you peace for your chaos, comfort for your mourning, joy in your despair. If you're like me, this isn't a go-to reaction when life gets hard. I need to be reminded how to handle my heart. Maybe you do too? If so, here's your reminder. Stop everything. Take a breath. Open up your heart and say a prayer. See how it changes you. God is ready to wrap you in His arms.
