My precious girl has my hair. Some odd color that’s blondish brownish with an occasional reddish hint if the light hits it just right. It’s thin and fine and not easy to fix. Definitely not easy when her three-year-old attention span has her turning her head or looking up, down, or all around.
When I picked her up from K3 yesterday, we were heading to some of the boys’ ball games, as usual. Her clothes were still clean and cute, but her hair looked like she had – in my grandparents’ words – “wallered” around. So I removed the day’s bow and ponytail holder and was working to un-waller her hair and redo it before venturing into public. Problem was, I had gotten to daycare to pick her up right at closing time, so I didn’t want to hold anyone up while we handled a hair situation in the bathroom. Instead, I set about handling it outside the van in the parking lot. Have you had a three year old outside in a parking lot and tried to do anything other than herd them into the car? I should’ve thought through this better. Addi was taking in the cars in the parking lot, those driving by, the sky, all of Creation. She knows her colors and loves to shout them out. “Red cah!” “Blue cah!” Etc. Very distracted. Very excited. Very not conducive to getting hair parted straight. Totally my fault, but I said, “Addi, BE STILL. I can’t accomplish anything when you won’t be still.”
Whoa.
Ever had those moments when it’s like you feel God giving you the look and asking “What’s that you say?” And you just know in your spirit that this little nugget with your child has meaning that applies to you as God’s child? Like He plays the words back through your mind but in a spiritual context? “BE STILL. I can’t accomplish what I’m trying to do if you won’t be still.”
In Addi’s case, she was just fidgeting and happily preoccupied. She wasn’t meaning to do anything wrong. She wasn’t disobedient. She was just busy. She was just distracted. She was unknowingly working against me.
Wow. Maybe my busy-ness and distraction unknowingly work against what God is trying to do for me, in me, or through me. Sure, I’m not powerful enough to alter His ultimate plan and destination for my life (thank goodness), but what if on the road to wherever / whatever He has planned for me I could avoid some rutted-out side roads, potholes, ditches, and mishaps if I simply tuned into Him on my spiritual GPS instead of risking the detours of distraction as I try to find my own way? What if getting to my intended destination requires some idling – some periods of stillness – while I let God clear the roads and pave the way ahead of me?
“Be STILL and KNOW that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“I will go before you and make the rough places smooth…” Isaiah 45:2
Thank you for sharing! I’m not very good at being still either. The story of this incident with Addie helped me to realize my lack of focus isn’t necessarily “sinful” and that I, like a child, am occupied with too many things. Lord, please help me to “be still.”
Wow. Thanks for sharing. I needed that reminder.
Very beautifully written and excellent insight! Thanks for the reminder to all!