Today was the last day of the last summer camp that I am teaching this year. For my part there was a sigh of relief that it is over mixed with a heavy heart that I won't get to have those fun moments with the little ones again for a while.
It was a difficult day as we finished our quilts. I asked the kids to stretch their abilities, leave their crafting comfort zones and try something new.
Many of them jumped easily into the new skills, but others became quickly frustrated. So much so that at one point I had 6 different kids in tears because they couldn't do some part of the project.
I should add that this morning started out with a raging migraine that left me barely able to open my eyes to the light.
All the crying did was exacerbate my migraine and leave me tempted to lose my cool.
But I looked down at those little faces and I saw myself. Someone who wants to do well, wants to be pleasing to the one who is in charge, wants to follow directions and do what is asked of them without any problems.
I ask God for direction and then get frustrated when I feel like I'm not able to follow His path as I think He wants me to.
I ask God for clarification and worry that I have misunderstood, so I just don't do anything.
I make attempts to follow His commands and things get worse before they get better.
But He so patiently deals with my frustrations, my questioning, my misguided attempts to follow what He has asked of me... so I did as my Father in heaven does, and I showed patience to those little, sweet children.
I told them all the things that they were doing well. I told them that anything worth doing takes time and practice. I told them not to look at the abilities of other and judge their own work by that standard, but to remember that the point is to do the best that you can do.
Next time you are tempted to lose your temper, or take over a project that is taking someone else a long time because you think it would "just be easier", or when you want to be critical of the work that someone is doing... remember that God is patient with us.
He encourages us through His word and through other believers.
He does not ask us to be perfect.
He just asked us to trust Him and obey.
I am thankful for the reminder of God's patience.
I am thankful that my migraine disappeared very quickly after the tears had dried.
I am thankful that the last camp is done ;-)
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