Before I moved to Texas I knew two people: Daniel and Jenny. Daniel was my teammate in Asia and I knew Jenny through college ministry stuff.
Jenny had moved in with her sister and brother-in-law and their baby, Sadie. I knew about Dan and Amy through various functions, but I remember the night I officially got to know them over dinner and stories. In fact, Dan made me laugh so hard during dessert I spewed milk on my brownie and their tablecloth (sorry again, Amy!). Rather quickly I began spending more and more time at their house until Dan and Amy officially offered to let me move in with them as well. “The only condition,” they warned, “you have to share a room with Sadie.”
I was in.
Though it sounds like a sitcom, we made it work. Jenny took the guest room and I slept on the twin bed next to the crib in Sadie’s room. With my family so far from me these friends quickly became family and Sadie was no longer a roommate, but my adopted niece. We spent a lot of time together.
Jenny and I moved out after the school year ended, but I praise God for the time I had at the Hay’s house being invested in and cared for as I adjusted to working full-time and being back in America. I also praise God for my relationship with Sadie. She taught me a lot about Jesus when I lived with her.
She still does.
Last weekend Dan was out of town and I volunteered to stay over and help Amy with the kids (Jackson was born in May). We had planned on sticking around the house on Saturday morning and taking it easy, then going over to Amy’s parent’s house (Mimi and Pop) to swim and eat later that afternoon.
Sadie had other plans.
I’m learning plans are never really set in stone when you add toddlers to the mix.
When I tried to put Sadie down for a quick nap after lunch WWIII broke out. Suddenly, this little girl that loves making you laugh with the crazy things she says turned into a very stubborn toddler who was not taking ‘no’ for answer unless she was the one screaming it!
Seriously, I don’t think I had ever seen her act that way. Every time Amy tried to tell Sadie to lie down Sadie had other ideas. When she was asked to pick up her toys Sadie made excuses. She bucked back every step of the way as Amy kept asking for obedience.
Then, as I sat on the couch listening to Sadie scream while Jackson threw up all over me (another story for another time), it hit me; I’m Sadie.
Though I may not be suffering from the terrible two’s I act just like Sadie sometimes. In fact, as I think longer about it, I act worse than she did. You see, Amy had Sadie’s best interest at heart. She knew her daughter needed to rest before she went and spent the afternoon in the sun swimming. Amy wanted Sadie to obey and lie down for a nap so that Sadie would enjoy herself later.
“She is going to get to do her favorite thing,” Amy told me as Sadie kicked and screamed. “When she wakes up from this nap I’m going to take her to Mimi’s house to swim and make cookies; her favorite thing.”
Sadie’s obedience was going to result in her favorite thing. Her mom wanted to give her something good. Amy wanted Sadie to enjoy it, and she knew that if Sadie was rested she would enjoy it more.
Sadie is two. Like I do with God, Sadie sometimes sees her mom as an obstacle in the way of getting what she really wants. He asks for my obedience because He knows what is best for me. Instead, I would rather buck him every step of the way.
“It’s too heavy”, “I can’t”, “Stop!”, “NO!!!” While these are common responses from Sadie they are also incredibly common for me too.
God is in the business of love. More than Amy loves Sadie and wants what’s best for her (and she does) God wants what’s best for me. He knows what’s best for me and I only think I do.
Man, I pray that I would learn to please my Father by obeying Him when He asks me to do something. I pray He would open my eyes to see how much He cares about me.
I’m praying the same thing for Sadie.
deliberatewanderer 