The Narrow Way

He looked over at the other kids in the pool and with urgency asked me to help him gather the toys floating around.

They weren’t actually HIS toys, the pool doesn’t let you bring your own in. However, my son, nearly 3 year old E, was the first one in the pool that day. He also was the one who originally collected the toys and deposited them in the kids swim area. So, although they weren’t technically his, they were for the duration of our swim that day, at least that’s how he understood it.

It didn’t matter that he had only played with them for the first 4 minutes of being in the water. When the risk of losing them set in, the toys took on new value.

Once we gathered up the toys he realized he couldn’t hold onto all of them at once. He pleaded for my help. I helped for a moment then asked him to reconsider, if he couldn’t hold them all at once, maybe he should put some back. 🤷‍♀️ This suggestion was quickly batted down, lol. He wanted them ALL! He sat there for a moment, miserable. The only way he could hold them all was to be still and press them up against his chest with both hands.

After a long pause, he looked at me and his face changed from distraught to excited. He asked me once again to hold some toys and he took as many as he could and put them back. He returned to me in the water once more for a final gathering and delivery to the pool’s toy bin. He was free. He wasn’t concerned giving the toys back to the rightful owner (the pool), as long as those other kids didn’t get them directly from him! 🤣👏

We sit back and laugh at my silly toddler, but isn’t this just like us?

So many go through life trying to gather up as much as they can. If they’re fortunate, one day they can pass it onto family as some sort of inheritance. But what have they done really? They gathered up as many things as they could hold, held on tight, and nearing the end, they were forced to re-distribute. As it turns out, we are all just borrowing everything we possess 🤔😳🤯

How silly is that?!

A court of law would see it differently of course, they would judge that you owned all you rightfully got your hands on. But what about heavens courts? The highest and final courts?

“The earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” Ps 24:1

“To the Lord your God belong the heavens,even the highest heavens,the earth and everything in it.” Deut 10:14

So it would seem many of us run around living like a silly 3 year old boy. We don’t realize we’re only loaning things from the pool (God). They are ours to steward for a time, but in the end, when our time is up, it all goes back to Him. And isn’t it true, it is sometimes easier to give things back to God than to a stranger (for some anyway)? Often we fear generosity, failing to keep Gods generosity towards us in the forefront of our minds.

I wonder if through the ages God has watched countless men scurry about like little mice storing up their goods 🤔

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Mat 6:19-21

A final thought, isn’t it interesting to note, my young son was miserable for the few moments he held so tightly to his toys? He was gripped by the fear of losing them. He couldn’t swim or go down the slide, we literally were just stuck there as he frowned (oh how I would love to show you the pics of his face). I tried to reason with him, to set him free and see his joy restored, but he had to come to his own conclusion about what to do with the toys. Thankfully it didn’t take long!

I pray you, me, and those you know and love are never crippled by temporary goods. The things of this world can be so fun to play with, but we must remember that eventually, they all go back to their Maker, the God of Heaven and Earth. Enjoy what’s been given to you, steward well, be generous, but remember to keep your heart free by setting it on higher things. In the end, it’s only the higher things that we can take with us.

“And now these remain; faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Cor 13:13

As always, thanks for stopping by.