This week, feeding my 8-month-old son turned into even more of a mess than it normally does. Mush from his baby cookie was all over the bib and tray, he had swatted a couple spoonfuls of peaches, and then he put his hands in the resulting puddles of food, which he then transferred to every part of himself and the high chair. I’m fine with the normal mess that happens in feeding a baby, but this one started to overwhelm me. I insisted on giving him a bath right away - while my wife laughed.
I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn’t help it. Sometimes my craving for control and order gets the best of me, and children are a great antidote to that problem. Children naturally hinder pursuits of complete order and control (which we experienced last week at the church with Vacation Bible School). But I think that releasing our desire for control is part of what Jesus called us to when he called us to become like a little child (Matthew 18:3).
God also likes to remind us that we cannot control everything. A real relationship with God requires that we surrender and recognize that he is in control. In fact, God likes to actively thwart attempts to control him and put him in a box. The solution is to place your trust in God’s goodness and your relationship with him.
Chad Hess
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