Little Bit can point out most of her body parts. Eyes, ears, nose, tongue, toes, etc. We will ask her who made her nose. The conversation goes like this:
Daddy: Who made your nose?
Little Bit: Made nose
D: Jesus made your nose.
LB: Jesus made nose.
D: Why did Jesus make your nose?
LB: Why?
D: Because He loves you.
LB: Jesus loves you. He does.
Now I know there is more than that, but I am not sure she understands that Jesus made her nose so that she can smell all the other things He made. We will get there, just not yet. We will get to her five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. But she can use each of those senses without knowing how and why they work.
But I was thinking. We use our five senses to define things around us. We are able to enjoy the evening sunset with the wide array of colors due to our sense of sight. We know Grandma is baking her famous apple pie because we can smell the deliciousness wafting out of the oven. We are able to enjoy a home cooked meal using our sense of taste. We are able to enjoy kind words from loved ones because we are able to hear the words being spoken. And we can enjoy hugs from little arms because of our sense of touch.
These are all senses we enjoy on a daily basis, for the most part. But as humans, we identify things in our life through the senses. And we try to identify God by using these exact same senses. We try to "humanize" God. We limit God to what we know. And we know what we can touch, see, smell, taste, and hear.
I don't know about you, but I have never actually seen the body of God. He has not appeared to me. He hasn't waved at me. He has not sent me a picture of Himself. I am not saying God cannot be seen. He can. Just not in the same manner that we see our friends, family, coworkers, and so on. We see God through different things. I see Him in His creation. I see Him in my daughter. I see Him in the miracles He has worked in my life. But I have not seen His physical self.
I know I have never tasted God. I actually don't even know what I taste like. Not all that interested in trying to figure that out, either. But I can't taste God. But I can taste the things He has provided for me. He has provided food on the table. He has provided rain drops. He has given me many things to taste. But I have not tasted Him.
I have not heard God speak. I do not know what His voice sounds like. I imagine it being a baritone. But I have no clue. That does not mean He does not speak to me. He speaks to me through His Word, the Bible. He speaks to me through people I meet. He speaks to me when I am praying. Just not using a voice like ours.
And I know I have never smelled God. Does He smell like roses? How about apple pie? I have no idea. People can change their scents. They can shower (which helps a lot), put on deodorant (which is good, too), spray on cologne, or even do none of the above. When I miss my husband at night, I can take his pillow and his scent alleviates some of that. But what about God? I imagine through His perfection, He would smell like a garden in full bloom. But, I don't know.
And of course feeling God. I have never physically touched God. Not once. I have no idea what He feels like. But I have felt my husbands arms around me, holding me tight. The comfort, safety, and love I feel when I am in His arms is what I imagine it would feel like in the arms of God, only a gazillion times better. When Little Bit wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes as tight as her little body possibly can, so much love radiates out that I can imagine that is how God would feel if I were to wrap my arms around His neck and squeeze as tight as I possibly could. When I am lying in bed, I cover myself with a blanket that feels warm and secure. I bet God feels warm and secure. But I have never felt Him. Only things He has provided for me.
So why do we hold God to our human senses when He is so much bigger than that? Why do we say we can't feel His presence? Why do we say we have never seen God? We should not minimize God and identify God by human standards. He is so much bigger than that.
I was talking to my husband yesterday afternoon. And this was our topic of discussion. I had just woken up from a nap. I asked him if he could feel me while he was in the other room. His answer was no. I asked him if he could hear me while he was out. He said no. I asked him if could smell me from the living room. Thank goodness his answer was no. I asked him if he could taste me. Again he said no. And then I asked him if he could see me while in the other room. Of course the answer was no. Then I asked him if he could do none of the above, how did he know I was still there? He said "Because I just knew that you were in here."
It is the same with God. We cannot physically see, hear, taste, smell, or feel God. It is a matter of knowing that He is here. It is not a feeling. It is a knowing. It is by faith, not by sight. We have to use our heads, not our senses. And it is by remembering the many promises He has given us through His Word that He will be here.
We can know God is here even when we don't feel Him. This is possible By God's Amazing Grace.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Jungle Gym
The Fam and I went to the park yesterday afternoon. After walking a few minutes, Little Bit noticed the strategically placed playground located a few feet ahead of us. She immediately got excited and exclaimed she wanted to play. The Hubs and I were all for it! So we let her run ahead of us to the playground. There was a huge slide in which you had to climb the stairs, go around the corner, crawl up a hole and another set of steps to slide down. I asked Little Bit if she wanted to slide. She very adamantly said no. I don't blame her.
After a few minutes of playing, I saw an area where she could climb up the bars onto the next set of play equipment. We have decided it is time for her to learn how to climb. I am not too sure she agreed, though. We talked her through step by step on how to get up to the top. Daddy stood at the top so she could constantly see him. I was right behind her reassuring her she could do it. She got to a point where both of her feet were on a rung and her hands were one step ahead of her. She wasn't sure how to get to the next step. So I told her she needed to place her hands on the next rung and take a step up. She wasn't too sure of that. She looked at me and in her sweet little whine, cried "come here" (her way of saying "pick me up"). I placed my hand on her so she would know I was still there and continued to coach her on how to get to the top. For this being her first time climbing this kind of object, she was doing a great job.
That was until she came to a point where the contraption evened out and went horizontal instead of diagonal. She actually started to get scared. She wasn't crying, but she was headed for it. It was then that Daddy reached out his arms to Little Bit and took her into them. We realized she was no longer going to move unless by force. Didn't want to scar her for life.
That moment helped me realize that God does that for us. We might be climbing our own little jungle gym in life and get scared. But God is there reassuring us that He is still there. He has not left us. He will not leave us. He has promised us in Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid of them; for He is the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Sometimes it is hard to know that God is still there for us. There are times that we cannot feel His presence. But just because we can't feel Him doesn't mean He is not there. There are times that I cannot feel my husband sleeping next to me. But that doesn't change the fact that he is lying in bed with me. Just because we are not cuddling in bed doesn't mean he doesn't love me anymore. He still does.
It is just like that with Little Bit climbing. I was there the whole time. I didn't have my hand on her at all times, but I was there. There were times I had to reassure her with the touch of my hand or the sound of my voice. God does this with us, too. We may not be able to feel Him at all times, but He reassures us of His presence through different methods. It could be by a song, a verse, a phone call, or the soft breeze.
My husband tells me of times He is having a hard day. Things just aren't going right. But then he stops to pray. When he finishes his prayer and turns on his music player, a song will come on that helps him through the situation. Or He will open one of his Bible apps and the verse he needs will be the one that opens up.
Remember that God is in your corner cheering you on. You might doubt that you can reach the top of your jungle gym, but He is there reassuring you that you can. I wonder if God has pom-poms and He is shaking them in the air for us. He is our personal cheerleader!
And when we feel like we are getting stuck, not sure how to take the next step, He gladly shows us how to move on. We can find the directions in a Manual He has provided for us. He has given us the Bible.
Have you ever tried to build shelves that you bought from the store. I don't know about you, but I am not very fond of the directions they give in the box with the materials. Sometimes it seems easier to just try to build it myself. I remember one time doing that. I got the shelves built. They looked....okay. Not great. Two shelves were actually turned the wrong direction, and the nails in the back did not go in properly. I wonder if I would have just read the directions (or at least looked at the pictures), if it would have turned out better. I will never know. In life, it is easier to just read the manual.
We will always have to climb jungle gyms in life. It is inevitable. Just know while you are climbing that God is still there. He has not left you. He is your biggest cheerleader. He wants you to succeed. And He has the steps you need to get there.
We can make it to the top of our jungle gym of life only By God's Amazing Grace.
After a few minutes of playing, I saw an area where she could climb up the bars onto the next set of play equipment. We have decided it is time for her to learn how to climb. I am not too sure she agreed, though. We talked her through step by step on how to get up to the top. Daddy stood at the top so she could constantly see him. I was right behind her reassuring her she could do it. She got to a point where both of her feet were on a rung and her hands were one step ahead of her. She wasn't sure how to get to the next step. So I told her she needed to place her hands on the next rung and take a step up. She wasn't too sure of that. She looked at me and in her sweet little whine, cried "come here" (her way of saying "pick me up"). I placed my hand on her so she would know I was still there and continued to coach her on how to get to the top. For this being her first time climbing this kind of object, she was doing a great job.
That was until she came to a point where the contraption evened out and went horizontal instead of diagonal. She actually started to get scared. She wasn't crying, but she was headed for it. It was then that Daddy reached out his arms to Little Bit and took her into them. We realized she was no longer going to move unless by force. Didn't want to scar her for life.
That moment helped me realize that God does that for us. We might be climbing our own little jungle gym in life and get scared. But God is there reassuring us that He is still there. He has not left us. He will not leave us. He has promised us in Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid of them; for He is the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
Sometimes it is hard to know that God is still there for us. There are times that we cannot feel His presence. But just because we can't feel Him doesn't mean He is not there. There are times that I cannot feel my husband sleeping next to me. But that doesn't change the fact that he is lying in bed with me. Just because we are not cuddling in bed doesn't mean he doesn't love me anymore. He still does.
It is just like that with Little Bit climbing. I was there the whole time. I didn't have my hand on her at all times, but I was there. There were times I had to reassure her with the touch of my hand or the sound of my voice. God does this with us, too. We may not be able to feel Him at all times, but He reassures us of His presence through different methods. It could be by a song, a verse, a phone call, or the soft breeze.
My husband tells me of times He is having a hard day. Things just aren't going right. But then he stops to pray. When he finishes his prayer and turns on his music player, a song will come on that helps him through the situation. Or He will open one of his Bible apps and the verse he needs will be the one that opens up.
Remember that God is in your corner cheering you on. You might doubt that you can reach the top of your jungle gym, but He is there reassuring you that you can. I wonder if God has pom-poms and He is shaking them in the air for us. He is our personal cheerleader!
And when we feel like we are getting stuck, not sure how to take the next step, He gladly shows us how to move on. We can find the directions in a Manual He has provided for us. He has given us the Bible.
Have you ever tried to build shelves that you bought from the store. I don't know about you, but I am not very fond of the directions they give in the box with the materials. Sometimes it seems easier to just try to build it myself. I remember one time doing that. I got the shelves built. They looked....okay. Not great. Two shelves were actually turned the wrong direction, and the nails in the back did not go in properly. I wonder if I would have just read the directions (or at least looked at the pictures), if it would have turned out better. I will never know. In life, it is easier to just read the manual.
We will always have to climb jungle gyms in life. It is inevitable. Just know while you are climbing that God is still there. He has not left you. He is your biggest cheerleader. He wants you to succeed. And He has the steps you need to get there.
We can make it to the top of our jungle gym of life only By God's Amazing Grace.
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