Roadtrip For Some Ice Cream
A very wise woman in my life (Mom!) is very good at coming up with analogies and allegories. I seriously believe she should be publishing her thoughts (move over Pilgrim's Progress, here comes my mom!). Anyway, she would say this analogy is very off the cuff and very much in its rough stages, but after a night complaining to her through some very long phone calls and emails about all my "feelings" I think it was the perfect reminder I needed to hear. Be encouraged by this mom of mine who happens to know a thing or two:
"I do know God's heart well enough to trust that His timing always reaps the richest blessings. I think when you give it less of your attention and your valuable time, it makes more space for God to lead and usher in the next thing He has in store. Here's my off- the-cuff crumbly analogy -
Say you were a little girl on a journey with your dad, and you really, really wanted a delicious ice cream cone and you were pretty sure that somewhere along the journey you would get that ice cream. Now, your dad knows exactly where the best ice cream is sold, the one that would delight you most, but it is still a distance away. Your Dad may from time to time remind you: Follow Me.
And you do, but also from time to time you may, in your journeys, pass an ice cream stand that looks oh-so-good! So you wonder off the path to stop, look, consider, wish again for that ice cream. Your Dad waits patiently for you to return to Him, and continue on your way together. But along the way you begin to think, why isn't my Dad giving me the ice cream He knows I want? How much longer do I have to wait? How come this person got her ice cream, and I'm still waiting? And suddenly you realize a whole stretch of landscape went by, barely noticed, because your attention was elsewhere. Or you are brought to attention by the fact that some task or other has been waiting for you, and suddenly it needs doing very urgently. Patiently your Dad watches, and hopes you will trust Him enough to stay focused on the journey and not miss any of the blessings along the way, nor be careless in the little tasks he has asked you to be responsible for. You set off once again, but every now and then off the path you wander, and your Dad lovingly shakes his head and waits, thinking that the journey would be sweeter and much quicker without these frequent detours. Each time he lovingly waits, knowing your desire, and he himself wanting to give you his best.
Finally one day, when you are quite weary of the wanting, you surrender to your dads leadership. No more detours. No long laments over what is "missing"; the lack of ice cream, etc..., you begin to drink in the landscape, serve your dad with joy, put the ice cream desire off to the side. You are enjoying dad's company so much, you begin talking more and thinking of what you want, less and less. One day you take a bend in the road together, and your dad's large frame is blocking your sight - he smiles at you, and bids you, come see! And there you see, the most wonderful ice cream stand - far better than any if the others, with flavors that delight you and suit you to a " t". Dad waited to give you the best. And now it's yours to enjoy. At last!! And to this ice cream stand you bring stories of the road, sights and sounds of the journey, a closer relationship with your Dad--- and the ice cream is all the sweeter for the wait."
Isn't she an amazing mom? The best thing about this analogy is the truth that it is not just about romance. Yes, at the time it was an encouragement to me in the midst of a singleness lament, but the truth goes for anything we hope to gain out of our walks with God. Anything that we long for that we feel God is withholding, sometimes we don't get ice cream because God knows it will make us into chubby lazy Christians, but other times He is just waiting to take us to the right ice cream shop. Our desires are to be given and surrendered under God whether it's the desire for a companion in life or the desire to travel to Fiji. Check your motives, be open and honest about your desires, and then seek where God really wants you to be focused right now in the moment in your community.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, LEAN NOT on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
"I do know God's heart well enough to trust that His timing always reaps the richest blessings. I think when you give it less of your attention and your valuable time, it makes more space for God to lead and usher in the next thing He has in store. Here's my off- the-cuff crumbly analogy -
Say you were a little girl on a journey with your dad, and you really, really wanted a delicious ice cream cone and you were pretty sure that somewhere along the journey you would get that ice cream. Now, your dad knows exactly where the best ice cream is sold, the one that would delight you most, but it is still a distance away. Your Dad may from time to time remind you: Follow Me.
And you do, but also from time to time you may, in your journeys, pass an ice cream stand that looks oh-so-good! So you wonder off the path to stop, look, consider, wish again for that ice cream. Your Dad waits patiently for you to return to Him, and continue on your way together. But along the way you begin to think, why isn't my Dad giving me the ice cream He knows I want? How much longer do I have to wait? How come this person got her ice cream, and I'm still waiting? And suddenly you realize a whole stretch of landscape went by, barely noticed, because your attention was elsewhere. Or you are brought to attention by the fact that some task or other has been waiting for you, and suddenly it needs doing very urgently. Patiently your Dad watches, and hopes you will trust Him enough to stay focused on the journey and not miss any of the blessings along the way, nor be careless in the little tasks he has asked you to be responsible for. You set off once again, but every now and then off the path you wander, and your Dad lovingly shakes his head and waits, thinking that the journey would be sweeter and much quicker without these frequent detours. Each time he lovingly waits, knowing your desire, and he himself wanting to give you his best.
Finally one day, when you are quite weary of the wanting, you surrender to your dads leadership. No more detours. No long laments over what is "missing"; the lack of ice cream, etc..., you begin to drink in the landscape, serve your dad with joy, put the ice cream desire off to the side. You are enjoying dad's company so much, you begin talking more and thinking of what you want, less and less. One day you take a bend in the road together, and your dad's large frame is blocking your sight - he smiles at you, and bids you, come see! And there you see, the most wonderful ice cream stand - far better than any if the others, with flavors that delight you and suit you to a " t". Dad waited to give you the best. And now it's yours to enjoy. At last!! And to this ice cream stand you bring stories of the road, sights and sounds of the journey, a closer relationship with your Dad--- and the ice cream is all the sweeter for the wait."
Isn't she an amazing mom? The best thing about this analogy is the truth that it is not just about romance. Yes, at the time it was an encouragement to me in the midst of a singleness lament, but the truth goes for anything we hope to gain out of our walks with God. Anything that we long for that we feel God is withholding, sometimes we don't get ice cream because God knows it will make us into chubby lazy Christians, but other times He is just waiting to take us to the right ice cream shop. Our desires are to be given and surrendered under God whether it's the desire for a companion in life or the desire to travel to Fiji. Check your motives, be open and honest about your desires, and then seek where God really wants you to be focused right now in the moment in your community.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, LEAN NOT on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."
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