If she doesn't finish all of her food at a meal or snack time, "I'll save it for later."
If she doesn't want to take a bath when I suggest we do so, "No, I want to save it for later."
"Not right now, Mommy. Let's go later," she says when I explain that we need to run an errand.
"I will save my Diego for later. After we get back from Hy-Vee." she states, wanting to be sure that she gets in her daily allotted two episodes of Go, Diego, Go!
If I ask her to put away her toys, "Let's wait and do it later. I want to keep playing."
"Do you need to go potty?" I ask, checking to make sure she doesn't wait to the last minute. "No, I'll go later."
Needless to say, "Save it for later," can be used in multiple situations in our household. Of course, Coralyn doesn't always get her way and can't "save it for later," whatever it may be at the time.
What strikes me as funny is that when she says that she wants to save her food for later, this really means she is done with it all together. I always put her plate or bowl or whatever back in the fridge to save it for later, and when she does ask for a snack or something else to eat, I pull it back out. "No, I'm saving that for later," she rationalizes and requests something totally new and different.
I almost don't even ask anymore when she is done eating part of a snack or meal. I automatically tell myself, "No, let's save it for later." And sure enough, Coralyn comes through and assures me that she wants to save her raisins or peanut butter sandwich or apple or pear or cheese or yogurt or crackers for later. But more often than not, I am the one who finishes eating the food, later, of course. I can't let the food go to waste, you see. I appreciate Coralyn's good intentions of wanting to save it for later, but given that she doesn't typically follow through on that promise, I go ahead and do the job for her.
I wonder how often God feels the same way. He asks me to do something: read my Bible, pray, sit and be still for just a few minutes, tell someone about Him, write a note to a friend who is hurting, or give a friend a call to encourage them. Instead of obeying, I respond, "Not right now. I'll do it later." When it's more convenient for me. When I'm not busy with whatever it is I am doing right that is obviously more important than whatever God has asked me to do. Somehow, later never comes. It always gets pushed back more and more. There's always later, never now. Now is full of folding laundry and unloading the dishwasher and making supper and changing diapers and buying groceries and going to storytime or playgroup. Now is taken, overbooked even. Now is not a good time. Later works better for me.
I'm not telling God, "No." I'm not disobeying or anything like that. I'm not outright defying Him. I'm just going to "do it later." I have good intentions. But in reality those good intentions really mean that I am ignoring God, pushing Him aside, not taking Him seriously, giving Him the shaft, telling Him He's not all that important. And honestly, how often do I actually follow through on my promise and get around to doing what He asked me to do? Sadly, not very often. Just like I typically end up eating Coralyn's food that she has saved for later but never gets around to wanting again, God has to do the job for me.
True, He didn't really need me in the first place, anyway. He can get the job done perfectly well all on His own, but the fact that He invited me to be a part of the work is quite a big deal. I should take it seriously. I should jump at the opportunity to do something for God, no matter how small or ridiculous or scary it may seem at the time. When God asks me to join Him in His kingdom work, why in the world would I respond with a "not right now, maybe later" type of answer?! And yet, I do. All.the.time.
I can laugh at Coralyn's many, "I'll save it for later, Mommy" remarks throughout the day. I highly doubt God does the same with mine.
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