Greg and I had the joy of having our 2-year old granddaughter with us this past weekend while her parents enjoyed a little alone time before their second child is born in July.  We enjoyed every minute of our time with her!

One of the aspects that we love about Scout is her happy, independent spirit.  She likes to try new things, wants to figure things out, and asks “why?” in an effort to understand the world she lives in.   Over the course of the weekend we heard the sentence “I can do it myself!” over and over and over again.    She really desired to try to do things all by herself.  This is an admirable attitude; a brave attitude.

However,  this independence became a little problematic at a couple of the  playgrounds we visited.  (Seeing a play structure through the eyes of a protective grandparent is very interesting.)  Would she fall off the swing? Slip  off the stairs? Would a busy child knock her down as they rushed by? Would the slide be too high?  For her~ there was no need for concern, but as her “protectors” we could see the pitfalls,  we realized that her little independent spirit needed balance.  There were times we simply had to step in, much to her disappointment!

Isn’t this kind of how we respond to God when He hems us in, disciplines us, redirects us, and leads us?  How often have we responded in our hearts with the same statement “I can do it myself, God!”    However, He sees the big picture in our lives; the opportunities as well as the challenges.  He sees how our choices and responses could cause us harm.  He wants to come alongside our Independent spirits and bring protection, care, and wisdom into our lives IF we allow Him to!

Psalm 18:2 says “The Lord is my protector; he is my strong fortress. My God is my protection, and with him I am safe. He protects me like a shield; he defends me and keeps me safe.”

…….children can teach us so much! 🙂