Easy as Spreading Peanut Butter

So this past week my six-year-old daughter, who’s eating me out of house and home, decided she’d make herself a peanut butter sandwich. I was busy getting dinner started and watched her from the corner of my eye. Everything went fine until she had to spread the peanut butter across the bread. It wasn’t working so well for her—but she refused to ask for help. Finally I came over and took the knife from her and smoothly spread a layer of peanut butter onto her bread. Her big blue eyes looked up at me all wide, her voice a mere breath, “Wow.  How do you do that?” Then she took her PB sandwich and off she went. I stood there thinking if only my kids problems were always as easy to solve as spreading peanut butter.

See, I worry about my kids. Yes, I know we aren’t suppose to worry, but it is a battle I’ll wage as long as I’m a parent. And oh, can I relate to their struggles. My oldest is a boy—thank the Lord for that! My middle is a girl, and at nine-years-old she’s already struggling with all things girl. Growing up a girl is hard…can I get an ‘amen’! As I watch them encounter issues I never had to deal with at that age, I struggle over how to walk them through it. Am I giving them the right advice? Am I truly wise enough to parent them? Am I enforcing the correct rules in this area but loosening up the reigns where needed? Or…am I completely screwing them up?

You know we’ve all wondered that.

And you know what, it's not just with kids.

I worry about messing up my purpose—the very thing He created me for. I wrestle with what my next step is, where I’m supposed to go, what I’m supposed to do. I stand there struggling and all the while, He’s watching me…waiting for me to hand it over. And when I do?

Come on, you know what happens, because I’m sure I’m not the only one here. When we finally cease struggling and ask Him for help, what happens? (Besides wondering why we didn't do that earlier?)

He fixes it. Untangles the knots. Makes sense out of our chaos. Because while our struggles sometimes seem too big for us, for Him they're as easy as spreading peanut butter.

To which we reply, “Wow! How do you do that?”

So I’m not sure where you’re at today—needing help with your kids, marriage, friends, or even your next step in life. But I am sure that wherever it is, He’s waiting to help you out on it. All you need to do is ask.

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. Psalm 46:1