"Soon..."

My 19 month old doesn't understand "soon" (as in... 'lunch will be ready soon...', 'we can play soon...', 'we'll be home soon...').  He only understands "now."

The other day, my wife and I were making lunch for the three of us.  Usually it's a weird dance of the two of us making lunch for ourselves, him and each other at the same time.  As we were making lunch, Myles did what he usually does at the beginning of lunch prep: shows impatience through whining.  He wants his lunch "now."  Then it dawned on me... and I don't think this is the sum total of his understand... he can't see the lunch coming together.

Track with me... Myles is 19 months old.  He is about 2 1/2 feet tall.  All of the lunch prep... his bottle, yogurt prep, grilled cheese cooking and veggies warming... is happening on the stove and counter which is taller than 2 1/2 feet.  All he can see is the edge of the counter.  He only sees what is near the edge... the bread bag... the tip of his bottle... part of a plate.  He doesn't see the lunch as it is coming together.  He doesn't realize that it is nearly ready and will be ready "soon."

But then... we don't really get "soon" either...

We have drive-thru windows so we don't have to get out of our cars to get our food... we have high speed internet so I can watch Netflix right now and on-demand movies... we have a microwave so my food will be warm in 30 seconds rather than 10 minutes (so I don't have to stop Netflix for long).

We want now!

Same is true in our relationship with God.  God doesn't work on our time frame.  The prophet Isaiah reminds us about God's timeframe in Isaiah 55 (NIV):  "8“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. 9“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God is able to see time and history from a completely different perspective than us.  He sees what is "almost" here and what is coming "soon."  In our fast food, microwave high speed culture, we want it now.  But God is working it out in his time and God's timing is perfect, even if it isn't the same as mine.  

JC


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The Terrible Twos... and a Reminder...

So...

We are told that the "terrible twos" can start in toddlers as early as 18 months (not necessarily welcome news for a couple of parents about a month into that timeframe).  We have begun to see some of this "terrible" behavior from Myles.

Now, I'm not a behavioral expert but it seems to strike when there is something that Myles wants and thinks that he can get or do on his own but he can't.  Like... climbing on the couch, reach a toy, opening a boy (i.e.: the alien bowling set pictured), eating his food... etc.  Either he doesn't have the ability or he can't accomplish it in the timeframe that he thinks it ought to be done.  Then he cries, whines, pouts, throws his toys down, etc.

I took this picture a couple of days ago.  Myles loves to play with his alien bowling set (I'm not sure who bought it for him... but thanks!).  He doesn't actually bowl (yet) but he mostly likes to get the alien-shaped bowling pins out and carry them around and throw the bowling ball (not actual weight thankfully) at one of our cats.  But on this particular day, he couldn't figure out how to get the velcro flaps open so he could get to the pins.  I was sitting about 3 feet away.  I asked Myles to bring the set to me and I would help him open them.  He didn't.  He struggled.  He fussed.  He got upset.

If he would have only brought the set to me, I could have helped him.

As I reflected on this, a Scripture came to mind (Matthew 7:7-11 NIV): "7 Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! "

Only a few feet away, my desire was to help my son, if he would only turn and ask for help.  

How many times do I fail to ask God for help?  Only a few seconds away, God's desire is to help his children and yet many times, we do it on our own... getting mad, frustrated, angry, etc.  Our God is a gracious Father who wants to help his children.  Yet, too often I don't ask... 

JC



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