~ On Sanctification And Parks ~

Writen by Amber Sutter. A must read for a good laugh! :)

Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Have you ever had the joy of the Lord interrupting your whole day to encourage you, reveal sin and put His plans for your life above your own? So often we become upset when schedules and routines are broken, forgetting that He knows best and has planned out all our days accordingly. Sometimes this involves breaking away from what is easy, pleasant or commonplace. So what will our reaction be when God has a different plan for our day that does not involve what we want to accomplish? Crystal and I had a similar experience recently, one I would like to share with you.

It was a beautiful morning - full of sunshine and fresh air - the kind of day that is perfect for being out and about. Joshua was bursting with energy and we all seemed to be suffering from a case of cabin fever. "Let's take the boys to the park!" was our thought and we jumped at the chance to get out of the house for a while. We just needed to "grab a few things."

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff four-month old twins, a two-year-old and two ladies can generate! Between all five of us there were: two purses, two tote bags, two diaper bags, a cooler with lunch, a picnic blanket, a ball, a huge triple-seat stroller and an assortment of water bottles, sippy cups and burp cloths. The incredible thing is we actually do use all of it!

Everything is gathered, the twins had been fed, diapers had been changed and we were ready to begin loading the car. The little ones are up first and as I am putting Josh in his car seat, he decides he doesn't want to be buckled in and hits me. That calls for a trip back inside with Mommy for a time of instruction while I try to calm the fussy babies. After several more tries, victory! Josh is buckled in and resigned, if not exactly happy. Now we can finish loading the van.

Then Crystal and I climb into the front seat of the van for our five-minute drive to the park. A small, quiet playground in the neighborhood where many of the Pastor's College families are living, it's ideal for a fun afternoon. However, we'd heard about a bigger park farther up the road and decided to check out that one. We unload the stroller from the trunk, a feat in and of itself, and begin the loading process. Three kids, check. Diaper bags, check. Water and snacks, check. On it goes until we're sure we have everything and then, finally, we're off!

We quickly realize that the stroller is now much heavier and after only a few hundred feet, decide we’d better get directions to the big park, since we have absolutely no clue where it is. This calls for a visit to the home of one of the PC families. We figured, "Hey, the Leslie's will know where the park is and we can take them that bread and hummus we've been meaning to give them." Through our conversation with Mrs. Leslie, we find out it's much farther away than we thought. After talking for a while, we decided to save time (and our arms!) by going to the smaller park. Warmed by the sun and our vigorous exercise, we headed eagerly for the shaded playground.

At last! We'd finally made it and now we could relax and enjoy the fruit of all our labors! Think again! Within minutes of our arrival, we were attacked by a swarm of vicious mosquitoes. At first, we were determined to ignore them and stick it out. After another five minutes of swatting and smacking both each other and the boys, we looked at each other and said, "Let's go home!" So we began our trek back to the van.

The kids went back into their car seats. All the bags and paraphernalia went back into the cargo bay. Then it was time for the stroller, but we couldn’t remember how to fold the monstrous thing up! At last we hit upon the right combination of pushing, pulling and maneuvering and managed to get it back in the trunk. We drove the five minutes to get back home and began the process all over again.

By the time we got everybody and everything back in the house, we were exhausted, hot and famished. We pulled the PBJ out of the cooler and were ravenously devouring it when I recalled we’d forgotten to take Crystal’s cell phone with us. “You should probably check your messages and make sure Aaron didn’t try to call,” I suggested and she went to retrieve it from the kitchen. Only it wasn’t there, or in any of the places she normally keeps it.

An all-out search was dispatched and we went running up and down, in and out, looking for it. At last we resorted to calling her phone from mine and listening for the ring. When we heard it, it seemed to be coming from a dozen different places all at once. This resulted in another mad dash through all three floors of the townhouse, diving under beds, upturning pillows and rummaging through drawers.

Joshua, still sitting in his booster seat contentedly smearing his jelly everywhere, was laughing hysterically at Crystal and I, and from the look on his face, you could just imagine him thinking, “Oh, look - lunch and a show!”

Finally, out of desperation, we began looking in places that were absolutely ridiculous, but we had run out of other options. When the oven and the refrigerator had been duly searched, we sat listening to the elusive ring and wondering where on earth it could be coming from. On a whim, I popped my head into the half bath on the main floor. After a cursory glance, I reasoned logically, “The garbage can in here should not be glowing, or vibrating, or ringing, for that matter.”

Thus, the lost cell phone was returned and hope restored. Apparently, it had fallen from Crystal’s pocket when she had used the bathroom earlier. How exactly it ended up in the trashcan we'll never know. It was at this point that we began discussing the singularities and assets of our lovely backyard and remarking that when one has such a wonderful yard, one need not go looking for parks, however tempting they might be.

Amusing as this story is, there is definitely a lesson to be learned. All this craziness was not about the park or the fact that we were only there five minutes out of the two hours spent going to and from. The Lord was after our hearts, and He certainly got our attention.

So what did we take away from this experience? I was reminded of the fact that God can use anything, even a trip to the park, to expose sin in our lives and draw us closer to Him. I had prayed that morning for the Lord to reveal Himself to us in unexpected ways - obviously I had no idea what He had in store! However, our little adventure taught me patience and joy in the midst of a trying situation. Crystal considered it an evidence of grace that we thought the situation funny and pointed out that a sense of humor is key to being a mom. She also thought it a good reminder that we need to continually surrender our plans to the Lord and practice putting His will before ours. This lesson also produced a greater appreciation for being at home and enjoying our own backyard. After careful consideration, we both decided that we would attempt the park expedition again, if only for sanctification’s sake! Yes, good has been done here, in spite of all our unfinished plans and goals. I leave you with a quote from the wife of C. H. Spurgeon and also the mother of twin boys, Charles and Thomas.

“Fill my soul with the sweet sounds of redeeming grace and pardoning love that, through all the succeeding hours, there may be melody within, and joy too deep and real to be disturbed or broken by any of earth’s jarring discords.” - Susannah Spurgeon