Yesterday morning I was walking alongside my four year old son, Chase. He was riding his tricycle and loving it! He rode one big loop, returned to the house for a quick run to the bathroom and then decided he wanted to ride to the park. I calculated that it would be nearly three total miles of cycling for him. It seemed like a lot to me for a four year old but he didn’t want to hear my concerns and began his trek to the park. He rode and rode continually saying, “I’m fast and strong. Can you see it [the park] yet Daddy?” About ½ a mile from the park, he stopped. “What are you doing?” I asked. “Look Daddy! Look at this puddle!” He was full of excitement as he got off his tricycle and sat down next to the puddle. He pointed out to me everything in it…the leaves, the stones, and even the miscellaneous, unidentifiable stuff. The morning sun was reflecting off of it and the more I looked at it, the more beautiful I realized it really was. Strange, in the midst of so much chaos in the world and plenty of goings-on in my own life, I found myself admiring the beauty of a puddle. It was calming. “It’s beautiful” I said to him. “God made it just for us” my son instantly replied. “He made it just for you and me, Chase?” I asked. “You, me, Lightning McQueen and Dynaco King” he said including his two favorite race cars from the movie Cars. With that, he jumped back onto his tricycle and completed his journey to the park dramatically picking up his speed as soon as he saw it.
As I think back to that precious moment I realized a few key lessons:
- Don’t let anyone put limitations on what you can achieve. Conversely, don’t put limitations on others. Beware, it may even be your “Daddy” meaning well by trying to “protect” you.
- Don’t let the drama of the world and the challenges in your own life keep you from admiring God’s beauty. Remember the saying, “Work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God.” With that philosophy, critical people and challenging times need not grab your attention from the joy even a puddle can provide.
- Keep your sights on where you are going. Keep in mind the purpose of your mission. And know that when you really can “see it”, you’ll have all the energy in the world to finish strong.
