A lot of years ago, when I was very young, I would beg my mama to let me wash the dishes! I wanted to help my mama, I wanted to be special to her, and I wanted to be a big girl, so when she let me wash some of the dishes, I felt really special and grown up!

There was a nice glass pitcher in the dishes one evening when she was letting me help, but she told me not to wash it because it was too big and too heavy for me to lift. When she went to do something else while I washed my allotted items, I couldn’t resist the temptation to wash that pitcher, to show her I was grown up more than she thought and I could do it!

Of course, you know what happened—she came back into the room when she heard the crash of the glass . . .  I had broken the pitcher.  Every day after that when we drank kool-aid, we got it from an ugly plastic pitcher and we all knew it tasted different. I was ashamed and I knew my mama was disappointed in me and I knew my brothers remembered it every day just like I did.

These days, I see the same principle in action in my life . . . my wanting to be “grown up” in God’s eyes, wanting to show I understand, wanting to show my special relationship with Him; but He tells me I am trying to do that in ways that are too big and too heavy for me to lift! (Matthew 11:29-30)

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. ”  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Still, I find myself thinking I understand “the truth” and can explain God’s word (just like the Pharisees) and, wanting to help, I try to bring other people’s thinking in line with what I “know” is right . . . and sometimes, I break the pitcher in someone’s heart or at least put a crack in it.

Letting God be God is a challenge . . . I want to help! I want to be grown up! I want God to think I’m special, let me walk in the garden with Him! And yet, His Word promises me all those things based on who He is—I can help because there are good works He created beforehand that I should walk in (I need to listen for His list), I can be a growing girl because He said blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled (He dwells within me), and I am special to God because He created me in His image, and I can walk in the garden with Him because He said I will never leave you nor forsake you!

God, please don’t let me break any more pitchers . . .

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you;
not as the world gives do I give to you
Do not let your heart be troubled,
nor let it be fearful.
John 14:27

But thanks be to God,
who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and
manifests through us
the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
2 Corinthians 2:14