I shuffled through the items on the desk, trying to determine which ones to set aside for longer-term storage and which would be better suited to keep available on the living room shelf.

My toddler puttered around my feet with her toy doll. “I’m helping Emi walk.”

“I see that. Just like how Auntie was helping your cousin walk when we saw them last week.”

I picked up a roll of tape. That should stay readily available. I scanned the shelf and found a spot for it.

“Mama, I’m going there.”

I stepped out of the way so my toddler could walk past.

I reached for a stack of unused notebooks. My current notebook still had space so I wouldn’t need these for a while. I stashed them in a box to be put into storage, then jotted them down on the list of contents on the box.

“Uh oh…”

I glanced down at my toddler. She was trying to move past my big packing box.

Her little voice piped up again, “Move please.”

Normally the space would be empty, but since I was actively working on this box, I didn’t want to move it. Beside the box was a clear space, plenty wide enough for her and her doll to walk through.

“I’m using this box right now, but you can go around it.”

My toddler pushed her shoulder against the box. “Move please!”

“I will move it when I’m done with it.”

“Mama, move please!”

I crouched down beside her and pointed, “Look, there is lots of room to go around the box. You don’t have to be stuck here.”

She started to pout as she pushed against the heavy box again. “Move please!”

I tried to meet her gaze. “Mommy is busy using this box. I will move it when I am done. You can go around it. See, I’ll show you.”

Straightening, I stepped around the box through the clear area.

My toddler pouted and pushed against the box with two hands. “Move please!”

With a sigh, I returned to my organizing. If I couldn’t explain to her that she could go around the box, maybe she would figure it out on her own.

She continued pushing against the box as her frustration mounted. She began to cry.

After a time, I picked her up and walked around the box with her.

“See, you can go around.”

She wasn’t comforted in the least.

I carried her to the couch and picked up a book. Maybe a complete change of activity would help take her mind off that box.

This encounter with my toddler was not the first of its kind, and surely won’t be the last. Her stubborn determination that she must go exactly in the one place she cannot go, is nearly impossible to distract her from. Once she has decided she wants to go somewhere, her mind is set on it.

After multiple such interactions, I began to wonder if I am ever like that.

In my walk with God, are there times that I stubbornly try to go somewhere or do something that He has said no to?

When God closes a door, or says wait, do I push forward anyways?

There are many times in the Bible when God told His people to wait. Sometimes they obeyed, but other times they pushed forward stubbornly and paid the consequences.

I think of Saul and the sacrifice (1 Samuel 13), and the disciples waiting for Pentecost (Luke 24:49 & Acts 1-2). The nation of Israel’s first attempt to enter the Promised Land also comes to mind. At first, they said no when God said go, but then they tried to force their way in when God said no (Deuteronomy 1:19-46).

Can you think of other examples in the Bible?

So what do we do when we find a heavy box where we want to walk? The apostle Paul set a good example for us.

“Concerning this, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it would leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.’

Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may reside in me. So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”  2 Corinthians 12:8-10 CSB

What did Paul do when he came to an unwanted roadblock? He took the matter straight to God. That is the critical first step.

After praying about it a few times, Paul understood God’s answer to be “no”.

Did Paul throw himself on the floor in a toddler temper tantrum?

No. Paul accepted God’s answer, and turned his attention away from that box onto God. Instead of growing persistently angry, he chose to follow the path God had opened and to live his life for God’s glory rather than Paul’s own desires.

Surely there were days that it felt impossible for Paul to have this attitude of setting his focus on God rather than on his own desires. Thankfully, he didn’t have to do it on his own. God is a God of mercy and a God who willingly helps His children.

Next time I stumble across a box in my path, may I bring it straight to God in prayer. Then, if He says “no” or “wait”, may I move on following His lead and setting my focus on Him so that my life may be for His glory, not my own. And on those days, when I am stuck and it seems impossible, may I cry out to God to help me shift my eyes onto Jesus. God will help me.

Having cleared the breakfast dishes, I followed my little one to the living room. Pausing by the cabinet, I studied the to-do list.

I glanced at the date on the top. “Today is the day!”

I skimmed down one side of the list. It laid out all the things we had to do prior to today.

• Clear conditions – complete
• Choose insurance company – done
• Set up utilities – yup

The list went on. Everything was checked off.

The memory of late nights and earnest discussions filled my mind. We’d asked so many questions and done so much research.

Now it was done.

Today is the day.

I glanced at the clock. The hour wasn’t here yet. I still had to wait until the time for the key handover. Then the new house would be ours.

I scanned the other side of the list. Everything we needed to do after we received the keys.

• Set up internet
• Update the address on our driver’s licences
• Figure out where the mailbox is
• Move in

My mind raced forward as I glanced around the living room. Already we had packed several boxes, thanks in large part to my mom’s help. Still, there was so much more to pack!

“Mama, play with me.”

My little one’s voice interrupted my musings as she tugged on my leg.

“Okay, I can play for a few minutes.”

We settled down to build with blocks.

Later, when Easter was on my mind (it was coming soon), I found myself marvelling at God’s perfect orchestration of it.

The day Jesus died on the cross was the day He paid the price for all my sin. It was The Day. Yet throughout the Bible we see decades of prep God did to bring all of history to that point.

God’s to do list involved cultivating the nation of Israel and sending prophets – so very many prophets.

To the people of Israel He gave traditions, such as the Passover, which so beautifully point to Jesus’ death on the cross.

Through the prophets, God hinted again and again at Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection.

Then, so many, many years later, Jesus was born. The appointed day was drawing near.

Finally it came. Jesus endured the cross for my sake. He died that I may truly live.

But God wasn’t finished yet.

Three days later, Jesus rose again – evidence of His victory over death itself.

Now, just like after we got possession of our new house, God is still at work.

Even today, He has purposes in mind and is actively working toward the day Jesus returns.

He is drawing people to Himself and stirring many hearts around the world. He is transforming people’s lives and bringing hope to the hopeless.

Am I a part of this? Have I willingly offered my life to the Lord that He may work His purposes through me?

Or am I too caught up in my own life?

As I celebrate Easter this year, may I marvel at the beauty and perfection of what He has done and may I join with Him in what He is doing today.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV)

 

I walked into the kitchen. The dirty dishes area of the counter was empty. What a lovely sight.

My husband had washed the dishes last night while I dried them.

I knew the dishwasher was nearing full. It would need running before too long, but for now those dirty dishes waited neatly arranged in the dishwasher. They would be taken care of soon.

I glanced at the clock. Time to make supper.

Having checked that my toddler was happily engaged making her own supper with her toy food, I fetched my rice cooker, filled it, and turned it on.

Next, I pulled out a frying pan and an onion.

Locating my favourite knife, I set to work.

Before long I had ground beef and onion sizzling away. I chopped up a couple of bell peppers to add.

That done, I carried the knife and cutting board to the dirty dishes counter. So much for that counter being empty.

My toddler was getting restless by now, so I asked her to help.

“Can you find a can of pineapple for me?”

She hurried to the can cupboard and scoured it.

I turned to my recipe and pulled out a measuring cup and measuring spoons.

Turning around, I found my daughter reaching into a drawer.

“You must be looking for the can opener.”

I handed it to her.

She hurried back to where she’d left the can of pineapple.

I followed, knowing I’d only have a moment before she gave up trying on her own and pleaded for help.

Sure enough… “Mama, help.”

“Okay, I’ll help you. Bring the can to the table first.”

We twisted the can opener together until the can opened. Then I set the can and can opener on the counter out of reach.

“Now I need soy sauce. Can you get it for me?”

Being in a favorable mood, my toddler soon set the soy sauce on the table.

“Thank you! Now I need the vinegar.”

As she trotted off in search of vinegar, I measured soy sauce into my measuring cup. It finished up what was left in the soy sauce container. Setting the empty container in the dirty dishes area to rinse later, I wrote soy sauce on the shopping list.

Calls of “Mama help,” came from the pantry.

I turned to find my little one stretching for the heavy vinegar jug, but unable to reach it.

“You found the vinegar. Here, I’ll get it.”

That done, I returned to the pantry for the brown sugar and cornstarch.

Upon spotting the sugar, my toddler climbed on a chair and grabbed a measuring spoon.

“Lick!”

I reached for the spoon, but too late. It was already in her mouth.

“Next time you need to wait until after I use the spoon to lick it. Now I need to get a new measuring spoon.”

I set the licked spoon in the growing dirties pile and pulled out a new one.

I added the rest of the ingredients to the measuring cup, saving the sugar for last. I then passed her the spoon.

As my toddler perched happily licking the sugar spoon, I poured the sauce into the frying pan.

I paused in the unusual moment of quiet to survey the kitchen. So much for it being tidy.

I set to work putting dirty measuring spoons by the sink and returning the ingredients to their proper homes. I grabbed the dishcloth to give the table a good wipe.

Having finished licking the spoon, my toddler pulled at my leg. “Mama come. Play.”

I glanced at the dirty dishes pile that had sprung up. The pots and pans from supper would likely join the stack before I got to washing any of them. Oh well…

I turned to my toddler. “Okay, I can come play for a little while, but then supper will be ready and it will be time to eat.”

Why do I share this story with you? Because I want to share one of my go-to recipes with you? No.

Rather, because I found myself thinking about dirty dishes recently.

Dirty dishes. Don’t we love them?

Some days it seems there is a never ending stream of dirty dishes to be washed.

Dirty dishes are a by-product of life when you cook and eat at home.

Where’s the allegory?

The allegory is this: in my regular everyday life, there comes a buildup of dirt or wear and tear. Jesus wants to wash it away for me. Am I taking the time to bring those things to Jesus so that He can wash me clean?

Let me expand further.

In my regular, reasonable daily life, just as the dirty dishes seem to be a continual stream, so there is dirt that shows up in my spiritual life.

Regularly, I must stop and take the time to wash the dishes. Then, for a short time, the dirty dishes counter will be clean and empty.

Likewise, I must regularly stop and take the time to meet with Jesus asking that He wash me afresh.

Some of this dirt is from the times I let my sinful nature take over. Some of it is simply from life’s wear and tear – the discouragement and hurts that a day can bring.

What do I do with this dirt?

I like the way Paul puts it in Philippians 4:6-7:

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (CSB)

When I am weighed down with anxiety, Jesus wants me to bring that to Him.

When I’ve had a hard day, Jesus wants me to bring that to Him.

When my heart is aching, Jesus wants me to bring that to Him.

When I’ve fallen into sin, Jesus wants me to bring that to Him.

Once a week at church is not enough. I need Jesus to wash and refresh me daily.

Once a day is not enough. I need to join the hymnist in singing, “I need Thee every hour, most gracious Lord.”

 

 

If you haven’t heard the song before, I highly recommend you take a moment to listen to it.