9/21/2020
I remember practicing cartwheels in the grass with the girls at recess when I was in elementary school. Tie my hair back, tuck my shirt in, point my toe, and remember hand, hand, foot, foot as my body tried to cooperate with my brain. Other girls were showing off with one-handed cartwheels or a fancy round-off. I was still working on keeping my legs straight and my toes pointed.
Many years later, I had a baby girl. I envisioned myself driving her to gymnastic practices, making sure her costumes fit without being provocative, encouraging her while giving minor critiques, and taking a billion pictures for family memories. Imagine my excitement as my daughter started 1st grade this year and began her first real gymnastic class.
Before her session began, my daughter practiced handstands and cartwheels. We bought her a couple cute leotards and put her long hair in a low tight braid. Finally, we went inside the building and saw spaces for floor routines, balance beams, trampolines, and bars. I knew she would have fun! I stayed inside with my mask on and took pictures like a good mommy...and of course shared them with my friends and family on social media.
The next week, we prepared the exact same way with leotard and fixed hair, but when we arrived there was a giant sign outside telling adults about the capacity limit on people allowed inside the building. My daughter is 6 years old, so I was not allowed to stay inside the building and enjoy watching her flip around. I went back out to my car. Should I go home? Should I wait here? Should I write an evil message on social media about the dumbness of Covid-19 not letting me be with my child after paying for her practices? Should I be grateful that at least some places are trying to keep me and my child safe and healthy? Uhhh...it’s too much!
I went back toward the main entrance and noticed there were several large windows with no blinds or curtains looking into the building’s large open room. From that view, I could watch my daughter learn and perform. We made eye contact and waved hello to each other while I watched the end of her practice.
I was a proud mom in that moment, and it makes me think about how God views me and my life. Maybe he is looking down on me and waving from heaven's window.
But wait…
That’s not how it goes.
Yes, God created us and watches us in a fatherly way, but there isn't a mandate keeping him away from me. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Not only is God always with me, walking along beside me, but also he is within me as the Holy Spirit guiding my life and helping me with choices I’m making. That’s right, we Christians are filled with the power of God himself.
Seems like God (holy and perfect as He is) crazily wants to be with his people cheering us on and giving us strength with power only he possesses. That’s the kind of crazy I like. He’s not a creepy-crazy God watching us perform through a window and zapping people whenever they mess up on pointing their toes or slip off the balance beam. No...he’s a God who is with us...no matter what.
When my daughter smiles at me through the window after going through the motions of her back handspring, I think of God in that moment. She’s full of joy and peace in doing something she was made to do with God right there leading her and loving her.
“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 8:38-39 ESV
Comments