come as you are, as you were, as i want you to be

Today I baby-sat for my friend's daughter. A rambunctious 1 year old, Susie is in to absolutely everything. At one point, I put her in a giant playpen so I could get a moment's rest. I decided against my original plan, which was to tie her up with duct tape.

But Susie would have none of my tricks. She wanted OUT of her cage! So I went over and stood at one end of the playpen. But did the child come running to me so I could set her free? Oh no. She stubbornly went to the other end, and tried to pull herself out. After multiple attempts, she stood in the center and cried. Even with my arms in plain sight, it took her a minute before she came over to me so I could help her out.

I thought to myself, "What a silly little girl! This would have been so much easier if she had just come to me in the first place."

It was at that point that I realized that my behavior towards God can be exactly the same! How much time do I waste because I attempt to do things my way?! How many headaches and heartaches would be minimized, if I would just take myself to the Father the first time, instead of trying to fix things on my own? What a foolish little girl I can be!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:6-7

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion; Psalm 103:3-4