My two year old has been an excellent helper at home. He's always fancied helping me out with doing the dishes or putting away laundry. Now that it's cold out he absolutely loves trying to help me shovel the driveway. He even sings while he pushes the snow, scraping the shovel along the drive way, "Push, push, push bulldozer. Push, push push." (He's really into construction vehicles and trucks).
We were singing and pushing snow very merrily when all of the sudden his singing turned to groans of frustration. His shovel had flipped over and he was having a hard time getting it to flip back around. I'm not sure if it was the fact that the shovel was an adult sized shovel, or maybe it was the several layers of clothes he had on, but he was really struggling. I tried talking him through it, but before I finished giving him directions he had already dropped the shovel and picked it back up again--the right way. I said, "good job, buddy," and told him that he did the right thing by letting go of the shovel. As I watched him get right back to work, I could feel the Holy Spirit whispering to me about perspective. When something frustrates you (maybe a task, or a job, or a relationship, or a dream), you have to let it go and take a step back to understand why.
I think the most inspiring part of this whole situation is that once he let the shovel go it only took a split second for my son to problem solve the situation and get right back into the swing of things. A split second. That's how quickly the Holy Spirit can give us insight on our problems when we let go and let God have His way. If he hadn't let go of the shovel I can guarantee that he would have gotten more and more frustrated, and I would of had to intervene.
It's the same thing for me. When I do things in my own strength and don't ask God for help I end up feeling frustrated and defeated. That's when the feelings of giving up or inadequacy come lurking in. But, if I recognize that I can not do anything on my own strength and ask God for help He gives me the perspective that I need to succeed.
"You will not succeed by your own strength or by your own power. The power will come from my Spirit,’ says the Lord of heaven’s armies." Zechariah 4:6
"For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13
God doesn't want me to fail. He wants me to succeed. He wants me to fulfill my purpose unto His glory. That's what gives Him pleasure--seeing His children accomplish great and mighty things. I like to think that the reason why God allows me to feel proud of my children when they accomplish things is because it's a taste of how He feels towards me when I press on and don't give up--when I let Him speak to me and give me the perspective I need to do all that it is He wants me to do.
It's all about perspective. Perspective can make or break any situation. If I focus on the difficultly or the negativity of any circumstance, I'm already claiming defeat over my life. But, when I choose to see God's plan and His purpose in my life than I can find Holy Spirit perspective in my life.
Yesterday I was on my way to church in the morning when my son asked me how snow was made. I started giving him a childproof scientific explanation about precipitation and water molecules forming. I told him that when the molecules form they start to clump together and then they get too heavy for the clouds to carry. So, the clouds have to release the water (let it go!). But, when it's cold the water freezes and turns into snow.
He liked that explanation and asked me to repeat myself several times. By the tenth time I asked him what he thought and he just said, "That's a really good plan, mom." I got a little emotional when he said this because, yeah, it is a really good plan. God has really good plans. Even when things feel cold and frozen and look dead there's still a plan. It's not just a plan, it's a really good plan.
Sometimes I think I give the Devil too much credit in my life when things are looking grim. I somehow think it's the Devil's mastermind that creates these horrible situations that test me. But, is it really up to the Devil? Isn't our God a sovereign God? Doesn't He have a good plan in mind? Sometimes bad things will come and try to harm me. My life will look cold, frozen, and dying. But, God has a plan! And, when I keep that perspective in mind--God's perspective--nothing can harm me! Because, God's plans are always good.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done..." Genesis 50:20
I want to live a life that's beyond frustration. I want to live with a Godly perspective. I want to do great and mighty things and accomplish them all for the glory of God. I want to live in peace knowing God has a plan, and His plans are good. Yes, His plans are so, so good.
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