I had given Kellah a small container with her snack -- homemade trail mix with raisins, cranberries, sunflower seeds, a few almonds, and some banana chips. She carried that little container around with her everywhere she went as we played outside. If she was in the Cozy Coupe, that container was right there with her. If she was on the tricycle, she was holding onto her container in one hand while trying to hold onto the bike handle with the other. If she climbed into the Barbie car that doesn't even go, she had to have her snack right beside her. Once I tried to hold onto her container for her while she climbed into my chair, and she nearly had a melt down. How dare I try to take away her precious container. Which mind you, thirty minutes later was still almost completely full with her snack that she hadn't had time or opportunity to actually eat due to her intense desire to hold onto the container itself for dear life.
Soon, we headed to the back yard to play on the swing set. And when she wanted to climb up into her swing, you guessed it -- she had to have her snack container in hand. After a bit she got tired of swinging and wanted to join Coralyn in the "tree house." To get there though, she needed to climb a ladder. That meant she needed to put her container down. But that was simply not an option!!! At least not in my precious little girl's mind. She was bound and determined not only to climb up to the "tree house" with her sister, but to do so while holding her snack container. She would get a step up and then spill her snack, so she had to stop and pick up every single raisin, cranberry, sunflower seed, almond, and banana chip and carefully place each one back in her little container. Then, she turned right back around and proceeded to try to climb up the ladder again, container still in hand.
After watching her struggle for several minutes and get pretty frustrated, I thought she might be willing to let me help her. I offered to hold her container, and once again the second I took it out of her hands, she started screaming bloody murder. I placed the container in the "tree house" and did my best to explain to her that she would get it again when she reached the top. I then proceeded to help her make it safely up the ladder (as she is a dare devil as has no fear whatsoever). As soon as both feet were on the "tree house" platform, she grabbed that container like her life depended on it. And when she went down the slide, you better believe she was holding onto it, as tightly as she possibly could.
Right back to the ladder she came, wanting to go up again. We went through the same struggle over and over again as I tried to take the container from her and put it in the "tree house" for her to get as soon as she reached the top. Not until about the 5th time did Kellah finally seem to understand that I wasn't taking her snack away from her, that I was merely putting it up where she could get it later, that I was actually trying to HELP her.
I thought about how I must do the same thing with God. I hold on tightly to things, to people, to ideas. I wan't let go of them for anything. I am so afraid that if I do let go that I will forever lose whatever it is, whoever it is, that is so very precious to me. All the while I am not even truly enjoying whatever or whoever is in my hands. I am just grasping it/he/she so tightly and feeling secure in the fact that it's right there with me that I don't realize how much I am missing out on. If I were to let go of my "little container" and give it to God to hold for me just imagine how much more I could enjoy life.
Kellah had quite the time driving the Cozy Coupe or Barbie car or riding her bike or swinging or climbing the ladder or sliding when she was holding onto her little container for dear life. Can't be too much different when I do the same thing.
As soon as Kellah trusted me with her container, she was able to have so much more fun. AND I always gave the container back to her. I wasn't trying to be mean or spoil her fun by offering to hold it for her. I was trying to HELP her.
Hmmmmm, God makes the same offer to me every day. TODAY.
Will I hold my "containers" close to my chest or will I trust my heavenly Father and let Him hold them for me? Will I grasp at my "containers," clenching them tightly or will I empty my hands so I can hold onto Jesus, clinging to HIM for dear life?
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| Biking is so much easier when you can use BOTH hands to hold on. |
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| Getting in the Cozy Coupe and driving works much better when you don't have anything else in your hands/ |
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