A Beautiful Miracle

Yesterday afternoon, we had the grand task of cleaning the house. Well, it was more like move-all-the-stuff-into-one-room-so-it-looks-neat cleaning. I asked Max and Briggs to go downstairs and pick up their toys because we had friends coming over later, and the basement was littered with train tracks, costumes, and blocks. I got them started and then headed upstairs to move all the laundry baskets into one room. A few minutes later, Briggs came upstairs, starving. When Briggs is hungry, it is best to feed him. I assumed the basement was still in need of cleaning, but I thought a quick snack would give him energy and then I would head down and help them. It really was quite messy. So I got Briggs situated with a snack, but as I stood in the kitchen, I heard interesting noises coming from the basement. It was either more toys being thrown about, or Max was really, truly picking up all the toys. I waited. The sound continued. A couple minutes later, Max came upstairs holding two objects. "Here, Mommy, these belong upstairs." I came down to his eye level and hugged him and asked, "Buddy, did you pick up the basement all by yourself?" He looked intently at me and said, "Come look both ways." And I followed him downstairs and was greeted with the amazing miracle - my child had not only obeyed, but had gone beyond any expectation and cleaned the entire basement. So I looked both ways, fell to my knees, and swallowed my child in my arms. Too many kisses later (as he peeled away from me), I said, "Buddy, thanks for cleaning and helping." He handed me one more object--a refrigerator magnet--"Here, Mommy, this belongs upstairs, too."

As I thought about it later, I realized I needed Max to pick up the basement; I needed his help, and I thought I would have to help him because it was too big a task for him. But it wasn't. He could do it. He'd grown and learned enough in his four-year-old life to actually accept the responsibility and complete the task. Isn't that a little like my Christian life? I learn and grow and experience things that ultimately lead to tasks in my life that feel too big and too daunting. But, in reality, they aren't really. I can do it. And I need my Father to train me and mold me and build me for more and more of those tasks that seem impossible. It's like that whole "Defying Gravity" scene in Wicked. I, you, all of us, will defy gravity when we follow Christ. That is a beautiful miracle.