I was reminded of this when my daughter asked me to just give her one good push and she could take care of the rest.
What fun she had that day! She was so engrossed in her utter enjoyment that she was blissfully unaware of my tedious attempts to get just the right shot.
It was such a beautiful sight watching how carefree she was that it got me thinking about how long it's been since I've felt that way. It had me reminiscing about the quintessential childhood memories that have become hallmarks of the happy parts of my childhood. Some things that I remember but haven't given voice or true thought to probably since the early 80's are...
• sitting in the hollow of an old willow tree at Grandma's cottage looking out at the lake
• hanging old towels out to dry on a clothesline that she hung just for me
• hunting for night crawlers and putting them on a hook to fish for blue gill
• riding my bike with the banana seat and practicing the whole "no hands" trick
• the sound of the squeaky screen door off the porch at Grandma's lakeside cottage
• helping Great Grandma "Nanny" bake her pecan rolls
• Thanksgiving time--when there was no work--just eating
• Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings!
• laughing and laughing with my 8 brothers and sisters
• our parents trying to outsmart us by suggesting a "quiet contest"
• making clover chain "jewelry"
• swinging so high without a care in the world--even if for just a moment
The real question is... can we still capture that carefree spirit and live it out as we kiss those boo boos, scrub the grates on the stove, be patient and loving to our husbands, and sit down to that ever growing stack of bills?
Of course the answer is yes! When I watch my daughter, her carefree spirit is born out of a trust in me. She knows that I will be there if she needs an extra push. I'll be there to slow her down if she starts to go too high. I'll be there to straighten her out if she starts to veer off onto a dangerous and crooked path. And finally, I would never have allowed her to be on this "ride" or this swing if I hadn't first inspected it and deemed it safe for her adventures.
It's the same with our Heavenly Father. He loves us so much more than we even love our children. He would not allow us to be walking the path that we're on if He had not already ordained it for us. He is always there to push us into obedience or selflessness, gently chiding us when necessary. He is always there to make our paths straight as we trust in Him with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding of our current circumstances (Proverbs 3:5-6). He is always there to slow us down as we get to out of control and too busy with the unimportant. He is there to gently remind us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
We are all in different seasons of our lives right now. Some of us are so busy we have a hard time even taking the time to remember what it felt to be truly carefree in spirit. Some of us are going through such intense heartbreak and fear that we don't know if we'll ever see a day when our lives would ever be defined by such a frivolous word. Some are experiencing a season of loneliness. Whatever the season--it's all for a reason! A divine reason purposed for us by a loving and CARING God. He cares so much for us that He wants us to cast all of our cares on Him (I Peter 5:7) so that we, like my daughter, Lily, can truly be CAREFREE.
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11
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