I was jogging along the sandy shore near where I live this evening, enjoying the blend of scarlet and indigo sunset. The waves gently lapping the shoreline and the wind against my face, I felt my burden lightened and at peace with each stride succeeding the other.
As I was doing my dips and pull ups at a local playground, there was a family: mother, grandmother and two children. There were rib like bars where kids could happily climb up to the platform to then slide down the parallel bars, onto the bark laden floor.
There was this child, probably no older than 3 years old, wanting to climb the rib like bars. So the grandmother gently lifted him to the first bar, giving him just enough support for him to still reach out to the next bar with his feet, making sure that he doesn’t fall at the same time as the distance between each bar was probably near a full stride for the toddler.
I was then reminded of how Jesus’ disciples asked who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven and Jesus replies by saying that unless we have child like faith, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, those who humble themselves like a child is the greatest (Matthew 18:1-4).
This observation in the playground reminded and taught me a few things.
- God wants you to go through life step by step.
No shortcuts as how the grandmother insists that the child starts from the first bar and not onto the platform immediately.
It reminds me on how people (myself included) always want the easy way out without journeying through it.We want the end and not the means. If we are to share the glory of Christ, we too are to share Christ’s suffering (Roman 8:17-18).
- God wants you to do the work and not everything be done for you.
Like how the grandmother will not move the child to the next bar until the child stretches out his legs and has a foothold onto the next bar.
- God is always there for you, to uphold you making sure that no harm comes upon you.
There were times when the child lost his footing and was about to fall but the caring hands of his grandmother was always there to catch him. I’m not saying that if we place our trust and hope to God, our lives will always be smooth sailing. In fact, we are promised persecution as we continue to live our lives for Christ’s sake (Matthew 5:11-12).
Just like the slight fall that the persecution we endure is compared to the glorious reward we have in Christ. How many times we have stressed and worried ourselves to death over things that when we look back at it now, seems insignificant?
I was amazed at the child’s faith in his grandmother to always uphold and keep him safe. Despite the challenges in front of him that he had to face, his focus was on the prize: getting onto the platform. He did not look behind, to the side and to the obstacles before him. He simply wanted to get onto the platform and trusted his grandmother to get him there (Phillipians 3:12-14).
So I pray that I trust God not through words only but through my actions (James 2:18). That the troubles and difficulties in my life, I face with perseverance to refine my character (James 1:12), to shape and mold me into the man God wants me to be. That I would keep my eyes on the prize, pressing and straining towards it, and forgetting what is behind me.
