Measuring Up
A few days ago, I returned home from my early morning job to find my son happily bouncing on his bed. Not jumping but sitting there, bouncing. A good way to start the day, I'm sure.
I kneeled down in front of him and gave him a big hug and just held him a moment. His quiet giggling was interrupted as he said to me, "Daddy! Look! I grown up so fast!" (I had to agree with him in my mind.) "Can you get a measuring thing and measure me?"
Reluctantly - due to time restraints before my departure for my regular day job - I measured him. "You are 42 1/2 inches tall."
"Does that mean I'm five years old?"
Apparently, right now five years old is the magic age. His closest girl friends are both five (one recently so). His closest little buddies will be five soon. He thinks he will run faster, jump higher, play better once he is five years old. To be five is his highest aspiration. Things will be SO GREAT when he is five.
"No, son. How many inches you are has nothing to do with turning five. You will be five in September."
I could tell he was somewhat disappointed. Measuring is measuring after all, and what's the real difference between years and inches anyway? Don't they both represent the same thing?
He just let it go and was happy to annouce "how long" he was to Momma. I know he'll get that concept somewhere along the way. We all do. We start just that way and learn so much so fast. These kids and their learning. It's enough to make your head spin.
Sometimes I wonder if we don't make God's head spin with our own desires of what will be SO GREAT in our lives. We come before Him with the "measuring thing" of our choice hoping to find out just how far we've come. I prayed a lot today, God - I studied through 4 chapters in the Bible and even pulled out the cross references - I read in one of those inspirational books for better insight - You know I didn't swear in my anger today - I helped those customers find everything they needed - So, how am I doing? Am I there yet? Am I good enough yet? When will I be SO GREAT?
I find myself there sometimes, hoping against hope that I have performed well: that I have done something to earn His love. He tries to let me know, Son, that's just not how it is. Those things aren't related. They aren't even close. I love you. Plain and simple. Let me love you. Let me show the world that I love you and that I love them also. Then we'll be there. You probably won't be good enough but we'll still be there. We'll be where everything is SO GREAT.
So I try to leave my set of measuring things aside. I try to just let God love me. And to let others know that he loves them. And as I do, things really do become SO GREAT.
There is no measuring up to a love like the Love that is GOD.
I kneeled down in front of him and gave him a big hug and just held him a moment. His quiet giggling was interrupted as he said to me, "Daddy! Look! I grown up so fast!" (I had to agree with him in my mind.) "Can you get a measuring thing and measure me?"
Reluctantly - due to time restraints before my departure for my regular day job - I measured him. "You are 42 1/2 inches tall."
"Does that mean I'm five years old?"
Apparently, right now five years old is the magic age. His closest girl friends are both five (one recently so). His closest little buddies will be five soon. He thinks he will run faster, jump higher, play better once he is five years old. To be five is his highest aspiration. Things will be SO GREAT when he is five.
"No, son. How many inches you are has nothing to do with turning five. You will be five in September."
I could tell he was somewhat disappointed. Measuring is measuring after all, and what's the real difference between years and inches anyway? Don't they both represent the same thing?
He just let it go and was happy to annouce "how long" he was to Momma. I know he'll get that concept somewhere along the way. We all do. We start just that way and learn so much so fast. These kids and their learning. It's enough to make your head spin.
Sometimes I wonder if we don't make God's head spin with our own desires of what will be SO GREAT in our lives. We come before Him with the "measuring thing" of our choice hoping to find out just how far we've come. I prayed a lot today, God - I studied through 4 chapters in the Bible and even pulled out the cross references - I read in one of those inspirational books for better insight - You know I didn't swear in my anger today - I helped those customers find everything they needed - So, how am I doing? Am I there yet? Am I good enough yet? When will I be SO GREAT?
I find myself there sometimes, hoping against hope that I have performed well: that I have done something to earn His love. He tries to let me know, Son, that's just not how it is. Those things aren't related. They aren't even close. I love you. Plain and simple. Let me love you. Let me show the world that I love you and that I love them also. Then we'll be there. You probably won't be good enough but we'll still be there. We'll be where everything is SO GREAT.
So I try to leave my set of measuring things aside. I try to just let God love me. And to let others know that he loves them. And as I do, things really do become SO GREAT.
There is no measuring up to a love like the Love that is GOD.
posted by Adam Cooper at 5:29 PM
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