The grand kids were over for a few days while their new little brother was making his grand entrance into the world. It had been a few months since we had ventured off to the park because it has been a Looonnnng, HOT summer. But after building forts and Lego structures, making slime, playing with play dough, brushing ALL the barbies hair, and gluing anything and everything to paper, Violet announced, “LETS GO TO THE PARK!!!” So off we went…. in the still 100 degree weather.!
Violet was first out the door, which is a miracle in itself because she can never find her shoes when it is time to go. (side note: she was wearing big brothers shoes…I checked) Violets way to the park is through the desert. Off they scampered. When they got a little too far in front of us, we reminded them to watch out for rattlesnakes. This stopped them dead in their tracks. Suddenly every hole, every indention or divot in the sand, became a snake hole. As we made our way along the path, it became a bit like dragging puppy to the vet.
The conversation between my two grand kids went something like this:
“We have to be careful because these are GIANT snakes with huge fangs that like to grab people, right?”
“Ya, and they are just waiting for us to walk right here, right brother?”
As they kept outdoing each other on the “Godzilla” the snake stories, I kept trying to move the train along. I knew as long as they kept their gaze down, all they would see were snake holes, and we would never make it to the park! “Hey, look over here, who can see the park?” “First one to “eye spy” it WINS!!!!”. But they were transfixed, eyes to the ground, fear at def-con 5. Now mind you the walk usually takes 2 minutes, and we were pushing 15 minutes.
When we finally came up over the wash, there laid the park in all its glory. As soon as they came over the hill, shouts of glee kicked in and they were running through the grass to the play structure. I laughed out loud.
A couple days later, something occurred to me. My grand-kids and their snake hole episode, happens to all of us. I could see in my own life how I had let snake holes distract me lately. I had been minding my affairs, just working my side of the street, on my path, heading to my goal or at least an outcome, and I was distracted. Distracted by those dang snake holes. In my case the snake holes were tending to my parents medical and legal needs after their car accident, organizing my schedule to be on call for an “overdue” grand-baby’s arrival, and contemplating some big financial decisions.
Every snake hole seemed to get bigger and bigger in my head. There was worry, too many schedules to keep juggling, concerns in all forms, unknown outcomes, waiting for balls to drop, anger and stress. I hadn’t even realized that fear had decided to run the show and hijack my hope.. And there was God saying, “look up”. “Look over here”. “Remember where you were on your way to.” But I couldn’t get my eyes off those dang snake holes. Every minute that I kept focusing on them, they became bigger, more ominous and out to get me.
When I realized that I was doing in my own life, what the grand kids had done that day on the way to the park, I couldn’t help but smile. God had been trying to get my attention for a while, but I wasn’t listening. So he used my grand-kids to reach me. After my big aha moment, and recognizing the drastic similarities, there was one more surprise I realized, now that God had gotten my attention. In the garden of Eden it is a snake that depicts the devil and tries to mess with Adam and Eve. God was trying to tell me more than just keep moving. He was trying to tell me that if the devil can keep me distracted, then there is plenty of time for him to deceive me with fear and doubt. This trickery will surely keep me from getting to where I was headed.
Although I laughed at my grand-kids silly fears, I also wanted them to know that I would protect them. So I gave them a warning to be alert, and I wanted them to wait for me to walk beside them. When they started to get distracted and become fearful, I reminded them of their joy at where they were headed,
This is EXACTLY what God does for me!
This verse has new meaning to me and I cannot help but identify with it. “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.” Daniel 4:34
I have my own saying now….. “ If all you can see are snake holes, God might be trying to tell you to look up.”