Misplaced focus, What we see in others, Early Swim

We have a DVD player in our little Dodge Caravan and it has been very helpful in our travels. My wife will use it while running her errands so the little one she routinely has with her can be entertained more easily. Lately the favorite movie is Monster's Inc. Her expectation, the little one that is, is that the screen be opened and the movie be playing as soon as she is in her car seat.

We have been working with her on asking properly rather that demanding; “Please” and “Thank you” instead of “I want” and “do this”. It is slow going. So when there is not the proper request, we wait until she thinks to do so properly. It takes a lot of patience because her focus – what she wants us to do – remains steadfastly unchanged. Therefore, the request is repeated over and over in the wrong way.

Those of you who have, or are around, little ones know what I mean. I have a feeling, so does the Lord. It made me think about how I ask for things I am petitioning help with. Am I like the baby, asking over and over with such a singular focus that I cannot see what is being done to prepare the answer to my need, or for that matter, what I might need to do to prepare myself for the answer to be best evidenced in my life?

I see that sometimes in my children. There are times that answering their request could be the worst response I could made. One of my daughters was well past the age where she was legally able to get a driver's license when she finally took and eventually passed the tests to get one. I was often criticized for holding her back while from my perspective, I was lengthening her life. She was not ready to drive until much later, only now does she realize that.

Just as I could see more than her, God can see more than I. I really need to give him the same latitude in my life. And remember, “No” is also an answer.

Yesterday evening we walked over to the pool area at out apartments. It is a large pool consisting of five large intersecting and overlapping rectangles. With us were the little one, her older brother and another young boy we watch for a short while after school. At first they were careful and laid down poolside to put their hands in the water since it is far too cold for the pool to be open. With young ones water must be touched, it cannot simply be enjoyed by looking. Having tired of that they then began walking around the perimeter of the pool on the tile immediately above the edge of the pool. It is twelve or more inches wide and level with the pavement surrounding the pool, but we warned them to be very careful anyway. It is a lot like walking on the curb, with water instead of the street greeting a lack of balance.

So, one-by-one, in single file they walked around and around, until a quick and spontaneous change of direction sent the little one over the edge and in to the water. Her brother got her out very quickly and no harm was done, but she was freezing since the water temperature was about sixty-five degrees fahrenheit.

What was our response? “Didn't we tell you to be careful?” etcetera, etcetera, etcetera! A quick change of cloths and a little time with the hair dryer and she was laughing about the whole thing.

Oh that my little “plunges” were that easy to fix!

So that you know, we finally got underway working out with the bank to clear up the residual left from the short sale. It will not be easy, but it will work out fine. Doesn't it usually?