When God Frees Our Hands...
What new blessings will we miss out on because we’re clinging to our broken toys?
Not too long ago, my wife took a dinosaur toy away from my young son. It wasn’t because he’d done anything wrong, but because the batteries were dead and she was going to replace them for him.
As she started to take it out of his hands, he held on with a death grip. His little knuckles turned white and he started to cry. He didn’t understand why she was taking it from him; all he knew was that he liked it and wanted to keep it.
After she replaced the batteries, she handed it back to him. As the toy dinosaur came to life with lights and roars, I watched his tears stop flowing above a huge smile. The batteries made it even better; he realized at that moment it had been worth the wait.
It was in this moment I realized how much this reminded me of my relationship with God.
My wife didn’t take it away to punish him, but to give him something better; he was just too attached to his broken toy to notice. How often have we, as God’s children, been so attached to our brokenness we failed to notice God has more for us? What if we, like a child, are white knuckling something we think is enough and are missing out on God’s perfect plan for our lives?
When God removes something from our lives, it’s not usually because we did something wrong. Often, it’s because he is freeing up our hands because He’s going to give us something even better. Whatever God gives us will always be worth the wait. His plans, His ways, and His gifts are far beyond anything we could think or imagine.
What new blessings will we miss out on because we’re clinging to our broken toys?