Full Hands

When you have a big family you get a lot of comments. Some kind, some not so kind. Some people share personal things about themselves with you because they understand and know you would understand them. Others speak out like your a joke, because they don't understand. 

One of the most common comments I hear is "You sure got your hands full!" 

These words are usually spoken with a tone of pity, indicating how they view children. As a burden, annoying, bothersome. 

I don't see my siblings like that, nor do my parents. Sure we're busy, and things can get pretty wild sometimes with this many little people running around! But it's a joy having this much life surrounding you.

If someone were to pass the Father (God) at the grocery store they might say the same thing. "You sure got Your hands full!" And He smiles and says "Yep, that's just how I like it."

When I started this journey with the Lord I planned on being the worlds greatest servant! I was going to be the one the Lord could count on to do His work. 

Today I don't feel big and important like I planned, I'm not the world's greatest servant despite the fact that I ran to every door I could find when the Master came by (Deuteronomy 15:17).

Instead I allowed Him to adopt me and now I feel like a three-year-old who keeps getting younger.

I don't see my siblings as annoying but I see myself as annoying to the Lord. He is the Great Master I was going to serve in His important missions! How can He bring in this great harvest when He's got me following Him around with my stool so that I can set it down right by His feet and peek up at His work? How can He be efficient and timely when I'm sticking my hands in with His before I ask if I can help? How can He concentrate on those important eternal things when I'm repeating His name a hundred times a day to show Him I finished drinking my milk, to ask Him if I can watch a show, or tell Him I want to go upstairs with the big kids. How can He get anything done when I have my little tantrums over His "no" or a pouting session when I don't get my way?

But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14

For you see your calling brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

1 Corinthians 1:26-28

If the Kingdom of Heaven is like children, than the Lord must feel the same way about His full hands as my parents do. He's not annoyed of me and He isn't annoyed of you.

The Lord chose to be a Father. He chose to adopt children, knowing we would be small, needy, slow, have behavioral issues and traumatic past experiences that He'd have to untangle. 

I may have thought I was signing up to be a servant, but He knew I was a child all along. He knew I needed someone to take care of me. 

I always longed to serve the Lord. So I tried to be perfect, I tried to be deep and ultra spiritual. I spoke the right words to make myself sound dedicated and slaved over being a great servant. I thought I had everything I needed to bring in this great harvest for eternity! But I had not love.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Being a child is a humbling thing, you don't boast around about being three! But the greatest worker for eternity is a child. Because if you are a child of the Father than you understand what it means to love and be loved. Children are a reflection of their parents and what they're parents have taught them. 

When we go out into this dying world as little children of our Father, we will show forth all that He is raising us to be. Obedient; those who love unconditionally; those who see the need, not the fault; those who show mercy; those who are willing to suffer first; those who are patient; those who aren't afraid of a mess; those who see a treasured life despite all the mistakes that cover it; and that's just naming a few. 

All that the Father has is ours and all that the Father is... is what we are meant to be. 

But only a child knows what their Father is like.