The scene that met my gaze as I rounded the corner, made my passion-for-organization-heart sink. A room, previously clean only mere hours before, was disseminated by the busy hands of my red-cheeked little boy. As I stood in the hallway, I could feel a smile pulling at my lips, but recognized that more than humour was required in that moment. As I strained to suppress the urge to let out the laughter, I drew upon my "mommy voice", and informed my four year old that the mess had to be cleaned before supper. The tears that followed were enough to twist the heart of the most stern of mothers, but I held firm to my issued decree, knowing he was capable of what needed to transpire next. I carefully laid out some simple steps of an orderly way to tackle the disaster and then walked out of the room, leaving my tired little man to test his abilities. I didn't go too far away, in order that I could be available for any cries that might move from sadness to desperation. The first few minutes passed without much difficulty. Before long though, the tears began again...
My first inclination was to step in and do it for him and the second was not much better; I would have gladly sat down and tackled it with him, but neither option seemed to suffice given the circumstance. I felt this was a battle that my four year old was capable of confronting, so that he could hopefully savour the victory in the end. Time ticked by slowly and when I returned a bit later, I was pleased for both his sake and mine that some progress was made. It was not finished quickly, nor without a few more tears shed by my, now weary, little man; but it was worth the persevering.
Why would a loving mother heartlessly make her four year old handle such confusion? Was it because I didn't care? No, it was because of my great love for him; my confidence that he was capable even when he did not believe he was, and my greater perspective of life in knowing that he needs to learn and grow in these areas, even if he doesn't enjoy it at the moment. A short term solution was not going to help this little man grow in the long term view of things - although there were tears and pain, these are what will make him into the big man he will need to be someday.
Does that not prompt you to think of our Heavenly Father and the ways that He cares for us? As I reflect, there are many events in my life in which, that as I look back, I can recognize the wisdom of needing to suffer through them, but I assure you at the time, I could see no benefit whatsoever. How similar this is to my little four year old and his room - I know that he did not think for a moment that I knew what was better for him.
The fleshly nature in all of us longs for the easy road in life.
But God, who sees far beyond our short-sighted vision, knows we need those lessons that do not sit comfortably at the moment. He is working out a much more magnificent design in each of us and He knows how much heat from the fire we can take before we get burned. Without exception, it is through our Refiner's fire, that our hearts are strengthened and purified.
What was the ending to the story of my four year old and his room? He melted down and lost all sense of hope just moments before completion. Did I walk away and give up on him? No, I knew by then he had as much as he could take and I went to his side and helped him finish the job. It only took two more minutes to complete, but I recognized that he could go no further.
In the same way, you and I have felt the Father come alongside us, haven't we? When we felt all hope must surely be gone, there He is, lovingly helping us clean up the mess we have made and put things back were they belong.
Thank you, Father, for always being so very near to rescue us when the heat is more than we can bear!
"The helpless call to Him, and He answers; He saves them from all their troubles." Psalm 34:6
