Recently Kate has taken an interest in helping with housework. If I am folding clothes she will come and help me fold washcloths and socks. If am doing dishes, she will rinse. She has become my regular mud room cleaner and surprises me with how neurotic she is about lining up the shoes with their pairs in exactly the right spots (wonder where she gets that from?).
Today, she wanted to wash windows. From the other room I cringed and thought well this will surely not end well, But despite myself I gave very specific instruction about only spraying 3 times on each window and set her free as I continued to sweep. They can't look worse than the finger, nose and lip prints that adorn them currently I thought! Thank you AJ.
As I was sweeping I was pondering how many puddles of window cleaner I was going to have to clean up, how streaky they might be when she was done, and just in general how it would be so much easier to just say no and go do it myself. But what would she learn if I did that. Nothing good.
And as God does, he showed me that He as our Father has a plan and things that need to be done in this world, specifically people that need to be shown love and compassion, taught about the Gospel and the Truth of Salvation, practical needs that need to be met, and hearts that need to be healed.
It would be so much easier for God to just do all of his work on His own. I mean He's God,, so it is not like he can't. But then, what would we learn?
It is not good for my development and for my growth to only reap the benefits of salvation and not be given the opportunity to take part in the work and sacrifice of sharing it with others.
Lest anyone get the wrong idea - salvation is through Christ alone; only He can save - but God Lets Us be part of His plan and His work here on earth.
He lets me share hugs, laughter, and coffee with someone who is hurting and needs a friend.
He lets me sacrifice a little to provide some needed items for a struggling young mom.
He lets me tell others about Him and show them the way to salvation in eternity in Christ.
He lets me teach my kids about responsibility and hard work by washing windows.
The question is, Am I?
Paul wrote in Ephesians 3:7-8 (The Message) This is my life work: helping people understand and respond to this Message. It came as a sheer gift to me, a real surprise. God handling all the details. When it came to presenting the Message to people who had no background in God's way, I was the least qualified of any of the available Christians. God saw to it that I was equipped, but you can be sure that it had nothing to do with my natural abilities.
I am convicted, challenged, and excited by these words.
Is my life work all about me, or is it about God?
Do I trust God enough to handle all of the details?
I have a purpose, a mission, a reason to live, and the blessing of a living a life Alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). That makes me excited.
PS - Fast forward in the story above and Kate is washing windows in the mudroom - a lost cause by the way - and locks herself out of the house. I go to let her in and find that over half of the bottle of window spray is now gone and her rag is soaked. Clearly my great training about 3 sprays per window was not effective, but I can see out the windows better now!
God Lets Us, Has given us clear instructions, and teaches us and gives us grace when we screw it up thinking we can do it our own way.
