A Fist Full of Car Keys

Today I was playing with my littlest sisters. Abby (2)  brought out the play doctor bags. (Which I think have also gone as purses for they each had a set of car keys!)

Having had several surgeries for her cleft lip and palate, Chick (Alexis) (3) is very experienced “in the medical field” and thus found a thermometer (though I’m sure it was imagined to be another tool) and she come over to me and said “Open mouth.”

I did as she asked, for I figure she’s opened her mouth for plenty of people I might as well give her the chance to see what’s in there too. When she was satisfied she stepped aside and Abby charged over with a fist full of plastic car keys, holds it up to my face, she said “Open mouth.”! The only opening of my mouth for that was in laughing.  

Once I left, this humorous play session captured my thinking. How often do we ourselves do this? We were created in the image of God, yet unique from anyone who’s ever been or ever will be. Still somehow we think we will look about ourselves and find someone’s life with which we can imitate.  With all our heart we want to please the Lord and thus look for step by step instructions on how to do everything right. Since we are uniquely created there is no blanket manual on how to be a person, so instead we look to others that we admire or seem to have it all together and try and be like them.

I rejoice for you if you’ve never done this, for all that imitating others brings, is a feeling of failure and frustration. You run around shoving car keys in people’s faces asking them to open up and no matter how hard you try they never do. You then go to the Lord in your despair and say “I’m trying my hardest to do what You want but it’s not working!”

He then patently looks you in the eyes and asks “What’s that in your hands?”

You look down before replying, “Well they’re car keys.”

“Oh,” He then replies thoughtfully, “What are cars keys for?”

“Well driving a car?” you then guess timidly.

“Hmmm…” He continues, “Perhaps that’s your problem.”

You then hang your head and reply with broken heart, “But You like tongue depressors better than car keys."

He then lifts your chin to once again look you in the eyes, “Whoever told you that was lying. Stop doing what You think I would like or want; what I want is for you to be who I made you to be. I have a whole line of cars that need keys, not tongue depressors and no one can drive them but you.”

We don’t need a manual to tell us how to live our lives because we have Him, and who would now best how to work His creation than the Creator?

So stop striving to do what you think the Lord and everyone wants and just rest in being; it might be hard at first, but you’ll soon find that being comes a lot more natural than you think. He will be glorified if you would stop fighting Him and Be.

¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

                                                                   Psalm 46:10