Things were not going well.
Not well at all.
I had a new computer program that wasn’t working. The box assured me that it was compatible with my Mac, and it installed okay, but there were parts of the program that were malfunctioning. Completely malfunctioning. And nothing I tried seemed to do any good.
My facial expressions, my body language, and my occasional sounds of frustration were obvious to L., my three-year-old.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?”
“Oh, I’m just having a rough time with my computer. Things aren’t doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
L. looked at me for a moment and then said, “Don’t be frustrated, Mommy. God has good news for you.”
I have to admit, he caught me off guard. I wasn’t thinking about God at that moment. I wasn’t thinking about the bigger picture of life. I was just mad at the dumb program and wanted things to work. My first response was not very admirable.
“Yeah, I know, but right now, I just wish things would work the way they’re supposed to.” I think I even accentuated my response with a grouchy grunt.
L. wouldn’t give up. “But Mommy, don’t be frustrated. God has good news for you.”
I stopped what I was doing and looked at L. “What good news does God have?” I asked him.
He thought for a second. “God loves you, Mommy. That’s the good news.”
Well.
I couldn’t argue with that one.
When things are going wrong, when software malfunctions, when I feel grumpy and irritated about little things…God loves me. And what’s more, knowing that God loves me can pull me out of those little frustrations and return me to a broader perspective, one that recognizes little frustrations for what they are: little.
Now, I’m not saying that trite sayings fix problems. Quite the opposite, in fact.
I’m saying that when my three-year-old says, “God loves you, Mommy,” it’s not a trite saying at all. It’s a powerful truth. One that changed my attitude and perspective the other day, and one that has the potential to change every day for the better.
Are you having a rough day today? Remember what L. told me: God has good news for you.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for bringing a smile to my face.
That’s pretty awesome!
Wow…its so encouraging to see your son looking @ the bigger picture…! Sometimes kids can be a timely reminder to us ya..
I need to hear that this morning — So thanks L for sharing, and to you Katrina for fleshing it out.
.-= Jennifer, Snapshot´s last post ..The Daily Grind =-.
What a precious moment. Thanks for sharing the good news!
God uses the smallest among us to remind us of his love for us and that we need to rely on him for even the smallest things. May God lift you up and bless you today.
That is beyond precious. What a great reminder!
I love the way God often uses children to remind us adults of His powerful truths!
Very cute story! Thanks for the reminder!
Hmm. Amen. *smile*
WOW! Just what I needed to hear this morning. I just love little innocent children..
AMEN!!!
Maybe there’s a pastor-counselor in the family’s future.
He is a deep thinker.
Love, Mom
Wow…not trite at all…
We all need that reminder some days
Marta
Marta’s Meanderings
That is a God moment for sure.
Thanks for sharing.
Joyful
Always a wonderful thing to hear and be reminded of… especially from one of God’s smallest children
Wow! Well, no wonder God has a special place in his heart for children. So cute!
.-= LaVonne´s last post ..Word Filled Wednesday: Salt of the World =-.
I meant to tell you that this hit me hard the other day. I was having a miserable day at work and was really beginning to struggle keeping my cool. Then I read this post. It made my suffers so inconsequential. Thank you for reminding me of that!
Praise God for the little L’s in this world. We all need to hear their wonderful and innocent wisdom. Thank you for sharing this.
~ linda
Precious! Don’t you love that God’s goodness is complex enough for us to spend eternity mining its depths yet simple enough for a child to proclaim?