I Want Cookies, Too

Yesterday my daughter, Milena, and I were driving home.  She was crying. Loudly. Again…  It looked kind of like the picture above… except strapped in a carseat.  Not my idea of a whole lot of fun.  Anyway, I have learned that sometimes she just cries, and she gets so upset that I don’t think even she knows what she wants.  But that doesn’t stop me from at least trying to figure it out.  Sometimes I can help her and sometimes I can’t, but I do try, and if I try and can’t help her it gives me peace that at least, well, I tried.

So, it was pretty exciting when, while driving yesterday I was actually able to figure out what she wanted.  Drum roll, please…

COOKIES AND PLAY.  (of course!) She, at eight in the morning, wanted cookies and to play. Neither of which I could offer her in that moment.

It got me thinking…I get it, girl. I want cookies, too.  And, yes! I want to play.

The problem is, life is mostly broccoli and work.

I have conversations with my kids about this reality.  They usually go something like this… “I am sure you don’t want to [insert any number of unpleasant activities. Or, basic day-to-day stuff like changing underwear.]  I’m not asking you to do it because it’s fun. I’m asking you to do it because you are a part of a family, and we work together.  It has to be done, and we are a team.”  And, depending on my level of frustration, I may or may not go on to list all of the things I do every day, not because I want to, but because I have to.  In truth, very little of life is comprised of doing activities I want to do.  Very little of life is cookies and play.

Paul wrote about this in Philippians.  He said, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.”

In Colossians, Paul also said, “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

So, where does that leave my kids?  Where does that leave me??

I have two thoughts:

1) I was in a spinning class last week, and the instructor said, “Tell your brain to say ‘yes’.”  It really impacted me, because I realized, here I am in this class- I’ve committed to it, and here I am. And yet, I am resisting the work.  I’m thinking about how hard this is rather than submitting to the moment and welcoming the work.   I think that’s what Paul meant.  If I know I am supposed to be doing something, well, then stop grumbling about it and do it as for Jesus.  In my Bible study this week, I was convicted.  The Lord helped me see that often times I am appearing to submit to an action, but in my mind, I’m not committed to loving God and others in that moment.  Lord, help me to make serving You and loving others the focus, not only in my actions, but in my mind!  If it is broccoli time, eat that broccoli!

2) Undoubtedly, we all absolutely need to have some cookies and playtime.  We are not workhorses.  Burnout is a very real thing, and I pretty much reached that this time last year.  I had to get help to create some space in my life so I could once again serve others.  We need to rest.  We need to laugh.  We need to engage in activities that we find refreshing.  It can’t be cookie and playtime all the time, but it should be some of the time.

So, may I encourage you?  When is the last time you had a cookie?  Do you need to be refreshed so that you might refresh others?  I pray the Lord will give you insight in how to create space for that.  Or, are you choking down the broccoli the Lord has served you, while grumbling in your mind (or even out loud!) about what you’d rather be having?  May the Lord give you grace and courage to try engaging in those activities with thanksgiving.