Handing It Over

My almost-one-year-old has recently picked up an endearing little habit. He likes to hand things to me. Granted, his aim isn’t always perfect, and I often find myself getting poked in the eye or jabbed in the neck, but I admit I love this habit nonetheless.

It all started when he figured out, “Hey, when I give mom this toy, she can make it spin like crazy on the floor. Do it again mom, do it again!”

And it grew from there.

Wow - mom can get that phone to make all kinds of noises.
Ah-ha, mom can fix that stack of blocks when I knock it over.
Cool, mom can even make that car go fast on the carpet.

And so, throughout the day, he’s constantly bringing random items over to me and handing them off as if to say, “Okay, let’s see what can you do with this thing!”

I love it. I love how he’s exploring his world, recognizing that I can help him, and enjoying all the nifty “tricks” I can do.

I also love how it reminds me of what I need to be doing:

Throughout the day, I need to constantly take things to the Lord and hand them over.

I admit that I’m a bit of a control-freak. While that can be good when it comes to things like keeping track of numerous doctor’s appointments or getting places on time, it’s not so good when it comes to holding on to the things that I should be turning over to God. I tend to think that I can — or even that I have to — handle things on my own. Whether it’s a perplexing decision, some heart-breaking news, or a deep worry about one of my kids, I tend to grasp them tightly to myself, not readily admitting that they are beyond my capabilities. Or that I have a loving Father standing right beside me, ready to help.

I’m so thankful that God reminds me:

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
- 1 Peter 5:7

Like my own little guy, I need to be quick to lift up the things that are weighing on me, hand them off to my Father, and then watch to see what He will do with them. He can bring growth from hurt, peace to a raging storm, and clarity to confusion. And that’s much cooler than the little tricks I do with my son’s toys.

I pray that I will be diligent in casting my cares on God, and then watching with anticipation, saying, “Do it again, Lord, do it again!”