Friday, November 16, 2012

Can't Fill Papa's Shoes

Psalm 18:31
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?

Our granddaughter, Virginia Rose, never says "never" when it comes to attempting feats which are really too much for her.
Whether it is cramming both fists full with her special rocks to transfer them from sofa to table . . .


Or, piling her shovel too high with them . . .


Or, toting an armload of unique toys kept in Papa's closet from the bedroom to the living room . . .


I worry she will stumble and fall, and forget to let the objects loose so her hands, not her head, hit the floor first.

So, it comes as no surprise to us that, when she spies Papa's heavy-duty winter boots tucked under an end table (why they are there is a long story for another time), she wants to try them on.  To say I'm just a bit concerned is the understatement of the decade.  Because, knowing Virginia, she will not be content to simply stand in them.  She will try to walk.

Her mom, Sarah, helps Virginia get into the boots and stands her on her feet.


We hover close to her as, sure enough, she begins clomping around in those over-sized giants.  The shoes are weighty, indeed, and I am amazed that Virginia can maneuver in them at all.  That she lasts as long as she does.

Finally, growing weary of the "trudgery", she plops herself down on her behind and motions for us to remove the unwieldy burdens.  Of course, we happily oblige.

Her feet set free, a relieved Virginia breaks into a run around the dining room table, stopping only long enough to gather two fistfuls of rocks, and race with them back to the couch.

Sarah turns to me and smiles.  "I think Virginia taught us something about God today."

"Really?  Do tell!"

"She can't fill her Papa's shoes, and neither can we."
~
Our God, our Lord, our Abba, our Papa . . . How many times do we try to fill the shoes which are His and His alone?

Will you pray with me?
Dearest Father, no one and nothing compares with Your majesty, wonder, and glory.  No one but You can fill Your shoes.  When the burdens of life make it hard to place one foot in front of the other, remind us to give our troubles over to You, our Comforter, our Friend, our Rock.  Amen.

26 comments:

  1. Wow...such a profound lesson Martha.. It is sometimes the simplest of things around us which teach us the biggest lessons of our live.

    Loved it!

    And seeing Virginia's pictures is always a pleasure.. sending loads of love to her <3

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Me!
      Yes, I find most times that our lessons are learned in the little things. I will pass your love on to Virginia! :)
      Blessings always!

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  2. True. No one can fill his shoes. They are not only big, they also are filled with everything we cannot imagine. And, Virginia is so adorable and lovely. Thank God for giving us the pleasure of watching our children and grandchildren grow.

    I wish you a beautiful weekend, Martha.

    Joy always,
    Susan

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Susan, and for your sweet comment about Virginia. :) She is my love bug, for sure!
      And, I love what you said about God's shoes being filled with all that we cannot imagine . . .
      May your weekend be wonderful, too!
      Blessings to you!

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  3. Hi Martha:
    So good of you to let Virginia experience life, let her learn from challenges that befall ach of us. You don't want to step in and say no don't do that because you may get hurt. How will our young people learn if they don't fall down. We all fall down. If they don't experience those challenges they won't know what to do when something really challenging does happen.

    It's in the little things that befall us that we learn how to except the big challenges. The old adage holds true here too:
    We have to crawl before we walk. We have discover small challenges and learn to overcome those before we learn to overcome the bigger ones. My nine month old niece, Rylee is so fortunate to have my brother and his wife for parents as they are bringing her up the same way.

    Good for you that you can stand aside and watch Virginia and not step in when she appears to be in danger of a minor fall. That's how we learn. By falling and picking ourselves up. If someone steps in every time to prevent a fall we won't ever learn how to pick ourselves up.
    --
    Chris

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    1. Thanks for coming by today, Chris!
      Such words of wisdom you have written here, my friend. I think it's a mother's/grandmother's natural instinct to want to protect her baby and we really have to fight the urge so we won't, in turn, become overly protective. As you say, we need to let children fall and learn to pick themselves up on their own. That's the only way they can truly achieve a sense of confidence and independence.
      Have a great weekend, my friend!
      Blessings to you!

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  4. Thanks for another great reminder Martha. I needed this one right now. Giving it all to God, my father and letting him handle the heavy shoes now....Gina : )

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    1. Always let Him wear those cumbersome shoes, Gina! Thanks so much for coming by!
      Blessings always!

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  5. Virginia Rose is a sweetheart alright. I would love to make that picture of her in boots as the wallpaper for my computer if only to remind me not to try and my Father's shoes! Thank you (and little Virginia Rose) for another great lesson in wisdom, Martha. ♥

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Corinne, and glad you enjoyed the lesson!
      It never ceases to amaze me how the little ones can teach us so much if we stop to observe and reflect. And, I will be glad to forward the photo to you. :)
      Blessings to you, my friend!

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  6. Great story, lesson, and prayer... so much wisdom here. :)

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    1. Thanks so much for dropping by, Rachel, and that you enjoyed this post!
      Blessings to you!

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  7. Too precious--the photos and the message!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the post, Galen! Thanks so much for stopping in. :)
      Blessings to you!

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  8. she is beautiful. loved the lesson you found in those boots!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Ann Marie, and for your kind words about Virginia.
      Yes, those boots can teach us volumes, can't they?:)
      Blessings to you!

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  9. How apt, Martha. And you have said it so beautifully and simply with your story. I loved Virginia's picture with her papa's boots on.

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting, Rimly!
      Glad you enjoyed both the post and the photo of Virginia. It's always fun when I can write about her. :)
      Blessings to you!

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  10. A moving tribute and a wonderful lesson...thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Jay! It's great to have you on board here!
      Glad you enjoyed the post.
      Blessings to you!

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  11. sweet Virgina Rose... she is precious! I got all teary eyed over her in those boots. I love your stories; thank you for sharing them.

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Amy, and for the sweet compliment. She is my little love bug, that's for sure!
      Blessings to you!

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  12. Oh thanks God! I couldn't imagine anyone filling up God's shoes...

    Sometimes, we do worry so much and anticipate our little kids' every move ~ we wouldn't want him/her hurt or stumbling... much less falling and bumping his/her head. But my brother would often tell me, how they could also keep their balance in such an incredible way... not often though...

    I pray with you...may God be our only comfort and hope.

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    1. Oh, I know! But, isn't it so true that sometimes we forget that He is in charge and try to do it all on our own?
      Thanks, Melissa, for your sweet comment and for your prayers. Yes, may God be our only comfort and hope.
      Blessings always!

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  13. What a wonderful story -- the images are precious! I'm taking a somewhat different message away, and probably because the moment you caught me, Martha, which was PERFECT (of course!) I am writing my New Year's blog post based on something like Jesus' advice to 'become as little children', so my take on Virginia Rose's antics is tied to her open-mindedness about trying anything and everything she is inspired to try without fear of not being 'big enough' ;-)

    Thank YOU for sharing! Back to work...XOXOX

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    1. Oh, I do love your topic about the "little children" and your take on Virginia's playfulness. It fits perfectly! It never ceases to amaze me how God can help us to see situations and happenings in new and inspiring ways.
      Happy and blessed new year to you!

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