About 100 people attended the most recent Joy Hour gathering at a local park. Each month the community comes to celebrate friendship and connection at the Joy Hour events. There i found a spot to share some fun conversation with new friends. The event for me lasted about three hours.
During that time, lovely children ran and played together building new and sometimes troublesome relationships. The youngest ones squabbled over available toys, while others romped and laughed in organized games. One little darling of three or so years brought her dolly in a little buggy and actively pushed her all around the people. I noticed other very young kids grabbing the buggy, trying to wrest it from her strong grip. Parents intervened before they could win and off she went again, showing her precious baby all the sights.
After about an hour she approached me and paused a moment. We exchanged glances, and she parked her beloved dolly between my feet. Then off she went to play with the others. I never learned her name so from now on let’s call her Anna.
Her extended family sat close by my location, yet over the next few hours, Anna chose my feet as the safe place for her dolly. She would come and get the buggy from time to time, take a lap or two around the park and return her beloved to my care. She never said a word or even glanced up at me again until the last time when she spotted half of a cookie i had rejected. She looked at the cookie and at me. I just nodded slightly and she ate it. Anna took her dolly for another round, and i began the walk to my car. So what? Understand this.
Arriving at events is always difficult since my escort of 40 years went on to Heaven. Yet, leaving events is the worst. Often getting in the car alone makes the tears force their way north. But today was different. The ignition engaged and suddenly this warmth swept over me. Anna TRUSTED me with her beloved treasure! Without a word or even a second glance, her childlike faith and trust made me smile. So right there, all alone in my departing vehicle, i found a special kind of LOVE. The tears stayed put and my journey home was full with thanksgiving and song.
The application for me was and is profound. Marthalee, will you trust Jesus enough to wordlessly park your beloved buggy at his feet? Will you put your children and their children in the buggy? Will you put your fears, aches and pains in that buggy, too? Will you even put yourself in that buggy and really FULLY Trust Him? Could it be God used this experience to show me how lonely he might feel sometimes; and how my honest trust of him warms his heart?
I experienced a deep love that day. Remembering and sharing the experience renews that love even now. I just pray these words convey that to you, dear reader. So the challenge:
Will we trust our Lord; not with eyeservice, or even wordy prayers; but rather with abandon?
Will we trust Jesus with our Buggy like Anna trusted me? Except we become as little children…
