As I’ve mentioned before in worship, I tend to be someone who gets a bit anxious. Stress has been a lifelong struggle for me and getting shingles my Junior year of college was a bit of an eye-opener for me. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten better about handling my stress and doing more to relax. And now as a mother, I have basically surrendered to the fact that my house will never stay clean. This morning I picked up some toys in the bathroom after brushing my teeth, and 5 minutes later when I swung back through to put something where it belongs, I chuckled. All the toys I had just put away were now all over the floor once again. Cleaning as a mother to a toddler is like cleaning the floor with mud instead of soap!
In many ways, I think we could all learn a little from the littles in our midst. Audrey is so good at reminding me to take a rest, to stop what I’m doing, whether it be doing the dishes, folding some clothes, sending an email, or resting on the couch, to just take a moment to read her the book or play with the toy she brought me. Sometimes I have no choice because she’ll cry and get frustrated if I don’t stop chopping vegetables. Those moments will end eventually, and she won’t be little like that forever, so I’m happy to stop chopping the vegetables to read “Abby’s Book of Rhymes” for the 234th time or go outside and notice everything with her.
God is often working through little ones to get us to pay attention, get us to stop and rest. And God is also working through the bird that catches our attention or the license plate that says, “Sabbath” in front of us at the red light. God can speak and nudge us to take care of ourselves, but it’s up to us to respond to it and actually do it. I think we all can learn to let some things go, just for a little bit, just as I have surrendered to the fact that my house will look like a toddler lives here. As my grandma always used to say, “Let Go and let God!”
-Pastor Kristina