A Mom's Moment

"Colin's Comment"

by Grace Fox

It was a gorgeous sunny morning – the kind that says, “Spring has sprung! Forget the laundry and go for a walk!” I accepted the invitation and headed outside. Bald eagles swooped and screeched overhead. Songbirds whistled and chirped. Flowering cherry trees perfumed the air. My senses drank deeply. Aahhh – the day promised to be a good one. And then it happened.

I’d walked only a couple hundred metres down our gravel road when my pint-sized next-door neighbor, Colin, approached me from behind on his two-wheel bike. “Good morning,” I said.

“Good morning,” he said. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going for a walk,” I answered.

Colin slid off his bike seat and began pushing the two-wheeler up the slope. His destination, the school bus stop, awaited his arrival at the top. “Are you going to stand with me at the bus stop?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I hadn’t planned on it.”

The little fellow heaved a huge sigh of relief. “That’s good, because I’m in first grade and I’m seven years old. I don’t need your help. Besides, I don’t want anyone to think you’re my mom.”

I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry! Colin’s innocent comment gave my sunny, scented, song-filled morning a whole new look and some serious food for thought.

How many times have I expressed the same independent attitude toward the Lord? “I can do this on my own,” I say. “After all, I’m a grown woman. With nearly five decades of life experience to my credit, I can handle whatever comes my way, thank you.”

In reality, I’ve never said these words aloud to God. But I’ve expressed them through my actions time and time again. I recall the early years spent raising my kids. I can do this, I thought. Believe me, I tried my best. Trouble was, I neglected personal time with the One who created my children and knew them better than I did. “I don’t need your help,” my actions said. “I can do this on my own.”

My quick temper and angry outbursts proved otherwise. Asking my kids’ forgiveness became a regular routine, it seemed. Worried about scarring them forever, I finally acknowledged my need for my Father’s help.

My kids are grown and gone now (and doing well, in case you were wondering!), but life continues to present challenges. Through them, I’ve learned to recognize dependence on my heavenly Father as a good thing. It’s a place of rest, security, and joy. His presence satisfies my greatest needs. I’m proud to be His daughter, and I want to introduce others to Him.

How about you? Have you discovered the freedom that comes from relying on the heavenly Father? Have you experienced the joy found in His moment-by-moment presence? I pray so. And I pray that your day will be filled with spring’s sweet scents, sunshine, and songs!

“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” (Psalm 16:11 NLT)