Well, we are in the deep heat of summer. Everyone (likely)
is trying to find some cool place to hold up in while the temps do their thing.
I have never wanted a pool, but yesterday would have been a great day to come
home and jump in, clothes and all. Even the thought of going to Lake Huron and
diving in seemed to be a good thing. Instead, we had to do shopping, visit a
family for a funeral service today, and we didn’t get home until late. At least
the car was cool, the store was cool, and the family’s backyard was…well it was
hot but we were in the shade. Hopefully, you are all staying safe in this heat
and drinking lots of fluids.
I had the joy of camping a couple of days with my niece from
California. She is 9, and full of energy and questions. My she is full of
questions. For 3 nights and 2 days I heard, “Uncle Drew…Why, Will, What?” Uncle
Drew is changing his name to an unlisted name. I have forgotten what it is like
to have a little kid running around asking all kinds of questions. I think the
only time she stopped was when she was sleeping (sleep is good).
Ironically, she didn’t often care about the answer, as she
would continue to ask the same question right after my giving an answer. She
loves fishing with Uncle Drew (who wouldn’t, uncle Drew untangles the line,
takes the fish off, reties the hook, etc.). I would encourage her to fish in
the deeper water so she could catch bigger fish. She wanted so desperately to
catch ones we could eat. But, she kept fishing the same spot because she liked
catching little blue gill after little blue gill. Of course, with each one-inch
fish she would ask, “can we eat this one?”
At some point in the fishing experience I stopped saying, “No,
they are too small, you need to fish over there”. I got clever and took control
of the rod and I cast to the spot I kept pointing at. And sure enough we caught
a nice keeper. “Wow, Uncle Drew, can we keep that one?” “Yes, we can keep that
one.” I gave her rod back and she went back to cast for the little ones. When
we finished we had one fish, so we let it go back to swimming. “Uncle Drew, if
we would have kept all the fish we caught, could we have eaten them?”. “No,
they were to small”.
As we spent an exhausting two days together, I realized how
old I am getting and how impatient I get when little 9-year-old girls ignore
instruction. She would half-heartedly listen and then do it her way. Oh, she
isn’t bad. She is a 9-year-old. I think for most of us we spend a great deal of
time as spiritual 9-year-olds. We ask God all kinds of questions but we are not
really interested in his answers. He tries to show us the best way to do
things, yet we continue to try and do it our way.
Unlike Uncle Drew, God does not lose his patience with us
very quickly. (For the record I was impatient in my head not openly, well maybe
a little). When I read the Old Testament and see God dealing with Israel it
makes sense after hanging out with a 9-year-old. God loses his patience, not
all of it, but he gets frustrated with the people. I want quail, I want Egypt,
I want a God like other people have, I… well you get the point. Even the
disciples struggled to get the lessons Jesus was teaching. They were spiritual 9-year-olds.
A million questions to be asked, but no ears to listen for the good answer, or
eyes to see just what Jesus was trying to show them.
Perhaps, it is time for us all to grow up a little. Time to
turn 10… well 20… well maybe we just need to show some sign of maturing. There
is nothing wrong with asking questions, but some questions are irrelevant. Will
we fly when we get to heaven? Will my dog or cat be there? Why did it have to
rain on my birthday? Perhaps we don’t’ get answers from God when our focus is
on the things that do not matter, or when we are not really listening anyway.
I am glad God still likes to hang out with 9-year-olds, because
I go there all too often. Nevertheless, today I want to grow up a little bit
more. I need to pay attention to what he is doing, what he is asking, and what
he is thinking. I need him to ask me the important questions, because the
questions he asks of me will determine my understanding of who he is revealing
himself to be. Try reading your bible with this in mind, “God what are you
asking of me in this passage?”
Perhaps when I am spending time with my 9-year-old niece God
is trying to show this 9-year-old where to fish, how to cast, and how to
listen to his instruction.
Just a thought for a Hot Thursday.
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