Hands Full!

“You sure have your hands full!” This comment came from an elderly gentleman at Wal-Mart. I had just walked in with one of those monstrous grocery carts, that has an attachment allowing me to put my three- and two-year olds in the front. My 6 month old was in his car seat in the basket portion of the cart. (‘Where do the groceries fit?’, you might ask… Good question.) I smiled at the gentleman and replied, “Yes, a good kind of full.” And I meant it. My children had not complained this time about having to go to the store; they got right up into the cart, my baby wasn’t crying, and I was enjoying the time out of the house with them.

But what about two days prior? Monday had been a different story – perhaps one of my hardest parenting days to date. My older two had been fighting all morning, resulting in a pretty deep scratch on my oldest’s neck; my middle child, in the midst of potty-training, had had three “accidents” by 9:15 a.m.; my baby was unusually fussy and I could not console him. Just when I’d get him to sleep and put him down, he’d wake right back up. What about then? What if someone had been able to peek into my home that day and make that same comment, “You sure have your hands full!” Would my response have been the same, “A good kind of full.”? Of course, regarding the existence of my children, yes, a good kind of full. My children are one of God’s greatest blessings in my life, and I thank the Lord daily for them.  But what about the actual circumstances: fighting children, cleaning up accidents, screaming baby? Was that a ‘good kind of full’?

Philippians 1:6 tells me that God is working a good work in me. It is the work of sanctification, being made more like Christ. This, of course, makes me think of James 1:3-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers (and sisters!), when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  I am supposed to count it all as joy, in other words, see it as a ‘good kind of full’, because of the work God is doing in my life. He is making me perfect and complete, so I will lack in nothing. My trials with my children are nothing like the trials of persecution those believers were facing, but that Greek word trials refers to trials of various kinds, not just the persecution kind. And, for me, that Monday was full of trials (though minor, I know).

That Monday, I lost my patience again and again. I was frustrated, because I was not able to accomplish my agenda. And God needed to expose my sinful heart, the idols I was worshiping in those moments. That is a good thing. As I saw my sinful responses, I could cry out to my Father, asking for forgiveness, and clinging to Him, knowing that I cannot parent in my own strength. I can learn from those times, reminding myself of Christ’s sufficiency in the midst of my need. And, in that process, God is conforming me to His image.

So, what is causing your hands to be ‘full’ this week – your employment, family situation, illness? Though the circumstance we deal with may in itself not be a good thing, we can know that God is always at work in the lives of His children, doing a good work. He causes all things to work together for good (Romans 8:28).So, yes, even that Monday, in the midst of the difficulties, my answer can, and should be, “a good kind of full!’.  

       – Amy O’Rear