Telling Grandma What To Do

Ethan and his parents stayed with us recently.

It was one of those lovely spring afternoons when the temperature was just right. There was a gentle breeze, the birds were just fledging their first crop of babies and deciding if the nest could be used again, or if a new one had to be built.

We four adults and one exuberant four year old moved onto the patio behind our condo and were enjoying a rare time of just relaxing, visiting, and enjoying the spring around us.

For awhile Ethan and I were playing at being robins and were gathering nesting material from the edge of the field behind us and piling it up under the tree where our “nest” was. He was having a great time running all over the place pulling dead grass from the edge of the field, gathering dried needles from under the pines and looking for other material that would make a good nest. Soon his “playground” voice was calling out, “Grandma, here is some good material for our nest. Grandma, come over here and help me get this material.” He explained to me why each handful of material would be good our “our nest”.

When he grew tired of being a bird he decided we should do some weeding. We got Grandpa’s new dandelion weeding tool, a weed bucket and began searching the yard for dandelions, and even more important thistles, to dig up. Fortunately, or unfortunately, it did not take him long to find many plants to remove and soon his shrill voice could be heard, “Grandma, come and dig this one. Grandma, here’s another one to dig.” We zigzagged all over the yard with Grandma using the pronged tool and Ethan filling the bucket.

After awhile I grew tired and told my little slave driver that I was going to take a rest with the other adults on the patio. He could keep looking for weeds to dig out and when I was rested we could continue.

When I joined Becki, John and Bill at the table I told them I didn’t know which of the many fields of interest Ethan would choose for his life’s work, but I knew he was going to be a supervisor!

Becki gently told me that I didn’t have to let Ethan boss me around so much. And I assured her that I don’t always let him boss me around. But it is a Grandma’s privilege to let him be in charge when it is appropriate and building nests today was a time appropriate.

Does God let us “boss” Him around? We certainly try.

Listen the next time you are in a place where group prayers are being offered and listen for how many times God is “told what to do”. Listen the next time you pray.

Along those same lines listen for all the times we, WE, tell someone else what God wants for them!

I think we are often as bossy with God as Ethan is with me.

God is even more patient with us than I am with Ethan. Scripture says He never slumbers nor sleeps, I think that also means He never gets tired as we humans do. But we are also told in the Old Testament that He wearied of the Israelites complaining, He wearied of their not keeping Him first in their lives. He wearied of them telling Him what they were going to do, rather than asking what He wanted them to do.

Just as there are times when Ethan has to be reminded that the adults in his life really do know what is best and he needs to respect and obey their directives, I need to be reminded that God knows what is best for me.

Our reminders to Ethan are to help him grow into a strong, healthy, wise and caring adult. God’s reminders to me are for all the same reasons and even more.

Some days I think God indulges me, maybe even with some amusement, building my “nests”, but when the time is appropriate, He disciplines me and reminds me that letting Him be in charge is best.