Growing Up

My devotional from my Mom book talked today of the parallel of growing up in Christ over time and growing up in our bodies over time.  Here is a great shot of not just the flesh and bones, handprints and shoe sizes growing up, but note as well the difference in maturity.  :)

But this little story takes the cake.

The little boys are in bed, story read, and lights out by 7:40.  7:55 Drew is headed down the stairs and I meet him halfway.  He is quite upset about not being able to find "the orange one with the one on it".  "The orange what?" I ask.  "The one with the one on it".  After some detailed questions as I am trying to lead him back to his room but he keeps resisting, I get.....  "Mom I can't find the orange soccer shirt with the One on the back. "

At this point I am in his room and notice that he has emptied both his shirt drawer and Will's shirt drawer all over the floor looking for this particular shirt for his nighttime attire.  He has also emptied the dirty clothes hamper in another futile attempt to find the desired shirt.  In as calm a way as I could possibly muster I tell him firmly that he must get in bed and that I will look in the laundry room but if I can't find it, then he will have to make do with the orange shirt he currently had in his hand (not a soccer shirt but orange nonetheless).

I did find in the dryer an orange soccer shirt.  I noticed it had a 7 on the back and not a 1, but I thought it wouldn't matter.  He is only 3 I reasoned.  As I try to skim it on him without his noticing, and talking about how cool it was that I indeed found his orange soccer shirt (which by the way, is of course NOT his, but merely Will's that has been gifted temporarily to him).   He stops me and looks intently at the number on the back.  "But Mom, that's not a 1!  That's a 7."  And falls face first onto his pillow with his little hands over his eyes in utter despair.

Obviously God never tries to trick me with something that isn't quite what He was going to give me but that was a "close second".  But I am QUITE sure I have thought He has.  My despair over a gift He has given me that I thought wasn't what I needed or wasn't exactly what I wanted and then threw a hissy fit over it.....  I do think God shakes His head in sadness over me sometimes when I am so childish that I do not appreciate what I am given.

Lord help me to mature enough to say "thank you" for my gifts from You, and to look honestly for the good it was clearly given for.