Being Spoon Fed

Well, after throwing my own internal hissy fit about being delayed before I even really get started in my travels for the week (I’m stuck at my home airport for another two hours, rerouted and not arriving to my destination til long after midnight)……I am now trying to take the positive approach and see it as opportunity to catch up on writing all the things that have been on my mind lately. Funny how I get frustrated that I don’t allow myself enough time to write and then when I have ample time unexpectedly, I get too mad to use it.

Anyway.

Earlier in the week, I was watching a baby being fed by her mother. It was your typical jar of baby food and one of those tiny little spoons made just perfect for a baby’s mouth. The baby was having a splendid time making all sorts of cute baby noises and the mother was more than patient with each scoop of food landing all around the baby’s mouth.

Every few bites the baby would spit a little of the food back out or want to grab the spoon for herself both of which causing more food to end up around her mouth. At first, the mother would wipe around baby’s mouth keeping it clean and tidy for the next bite, but eventually just let the food build up.

Finally, when little miss had enough food, mom wipes one last time (still exuding more patience than I understand), puts the lid on the jar, picks the child up out of the chair and gives her a big smile and hug and then move on with their lives.

Why He chooses to give me lessons in this way, I’m not sure. Probably because He has to “dummy it down” to my level so that I get it. Also probably a little bit of reverse psychology in making me think if I’ve had this major epiphany while watching a baby eat, I will then think I am a genius, can figure out anything and tell the world about it at the same time 🙂

So what’s my lesson? We are all babies. We don’t like to think we are, but we are. We have a father, who is spoon feeding us. He wants to be that close to us and wants us to depend on Him so much that we need Him to feed us. And he takes GREAT patience and equally as great of joy in doing so.

He sits there feeding us, we want to grab the spoon, we sometimes spit out what we’ve been fed, we take too long to eat what He is providing…….and frankly, just make a big human mess of the whole feeding process.

BUT…..He still sits there, bite after bite. Sometimes making airplane noises to trick us 🙂 And steadily feeding us so that something stays in. What we do allow in and choose not to make a mess of, nourishes us to continue, brings us peace, gives us energy and keeps us healthy in more ways than just physically.

Then, finally, when we are done and have kept enough food in for his satisfaction, He wipes our mouths, picks us up, wraps his arms around us, and sends us off to play in this glorious mission field He has for us here. Where on Earth would we be without His patience, forgiveness, and big rag to wipe our messy mouths with?

Now, if I can just stop trying to grab that spoon 🙂