Meltdown

My oldest granddaughter is six years old. Grace is an intelligent, pretty girl. Her vocabulary is extensive enough to serve many adults well. Many days when it's least expected, Grace suddenly cries with gut wrenching sobs from a heart that must be irreparably broken. She finally manages to articulate her agony with words like " I dropped my toy on the floor of the back seat and I can't reach it." or " Henry won't give me the t.v. remote." At other times it may be that she can't find her favorite toy or shoes. When she's lost something she does a quick look without moving anything before she bursts into tears. No matter what the "traumatic" event is they all have one thing in common. No adult relative is asked to come to her aid. Nana and Mommy are just two "helpless bystanders". When one of us tries to sensibly assure her of our ability to help, she never treats our advice as a great a-ha moment. Even after her mother or I have found her toy or shoes or corrected her little brother's annoying acts, the drama vanishes but without any hope for different behavior in the future.

She's smart. The adults in her life have proven again and again that they can help. Why can't she skip the drama and just ask? At times my patience comes close to the breaking point during one of these episodes. For brief moments I feel as helpless as she thinks I am. What stops her intelligence from seeing the easy way to deal with the situation?

Then I remember situations in my life when I have seemed no more trusting or logical than Grace. Yes, I do a better job of looking for lost items. I also am more willing to ask others to help solve a variety of problems. I may not cry as quickly as Grace but I do rehash the facts of my situation again and again before people who either can offer no help or have quickly exhausted all their suggestions. What would my life be like if instead of running to people I made a habit of always running to God first?

 It's in His word we read you have not because you ask not. At moments like these I realize praying without ceasing is not an impossible concept. I am critical when my granddaughter does not use the abilities of the adults in her life. These adults may do quite well in handling lost items but they often lose patience and care more about their own comfort than others. God is the one who never loses patience. He never loses sight of what is best for His children. We must remind ourselves to hold back our flood of words just as we remind our children to hold back the flood of tears as we look to the finder of all lost things and people and the source of all comfort and wisdom.

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