Bungled By A Book Cart

When I picked up my 3 year-old from school today, she ran through the hallways like a total savage.  She skipped ahead of me and then tripped over her own feet and fell down.  She got up, looked back at me while running, bumped into a book cart and fell again.  Over and over I kept telling her to come back to me.  To stop running ahead.  But she wouldn't listen.

As I watched her run to and fro and tumble and fall and get back up and do it all over again, seemingly oblivious to my voice of correction and guidance, I thought, "This is what it must be like for God trying to deal with us."  How many times have I run out ahead of God, only to trip over my own feet and fall on my face?  How many times have I run around aimlessly and looked back to make sure God was still there, only to turn back around to continue along my own path and slam into a wall?  How many times have I acted like a little toddler, stubbornly following my own reason, holding on tightly to the things that I want and refusing to let go?  All the while, God stands patiently waiting, allowing me to wear myself out because even God knows you can't bargain with a toddler.

"Submit to God and be at peace with Him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

Accept instruction from His mouth and lay up His words in your heart.

If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored:

If you remove wickedness far from your tent and assign your nuggets to the dust,

Your gold of Ophir to the rocks in the ravines,

Then the Almighty will be your gold, the choicest silver for you.

Surely then you will find delight in the Almighty, and will lift up your face to God.

You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows.

What you decide on will be done, and light will shine on your ways.

When people are brought low and you say, 'Lift them up!'

Then He will save the downcast.

He will deliver even one who is not innocent,

Who will be delivered through the cleanness of your hands."

(Job 22:21-30)