What Parenting Teaches Me #20: Taking Part
Anna likes to help me unload the dishwasher and clothes dryer lately. Turns out, though, that it actually creates more work for me to accommodate her helping. I have to slide out socks, towels, underwear so she can reach them to put them in the basket before and after I fold different things. And I have to keep maintaining her efforts while I finish up the task at hand before everything wrinkles. If it's the dishes, I have to quickly put up what is sharp or breakable before she notices what I am doing so that I don't have to keep after her to not touch. And then I have to slow down and let her give me one thing at a time until the whole thing is empty. To be honest - she kind of gets in the way except for the fact that I love her to pieces. So I take on the extra work of letting her help because she enjoys being a part of what I am doing - she is blessed by taking part.
And I compare this to what our participation is in the Lord's work. He's gonna get done what he intends to get done with or without our help. And the times we don't step up and take part in what he is doing around us it is really us who are missing out on a blessing.
I love your WPTM insights. This is so true. Leah is my little helper and boy is it hard sometimes to slow down and let her participate. Great job, Mommy, for blessing your little Anna in those ways.
ReplyDeleteSeriously...the best response I can give to this is AMEN. :) I love that your eyes are so open to see God in your everyday life.
ReplyDeleteAnd I still think you should turn all these WPTM insights into a book one day!
YOu know I thought it interesting this post...in our bible study we read a piece from Luke 3:8 about the israelite thought they were untouchable b/c they were Abraham's descendant...but John the Baptist said...um no, you still need to repent and turn to God because God can create descendant from stones! THe Lord doesn't need our help for naything, but what a blessing it is that we DO get to be a part of his plan
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