Dig In!

Last night, my preschooler sat down with her warm chocolate chip cookie in front of her, a glass of milk with a straw, and a napkin. Moments later, she popped back out of her chair to run to the kitchen drawer. What place setting is complete without a spoon and a fork? She uses colorful, plastic spoons and forks, and they’re easily within reach so she likes getting them for herself.

I love that she was so excited about her cookie that she wanted to get her “utensils” ready. That’s gusto! That says, “I’m going to dig in.”

Her actions seemed an appropriate metaphor for life. We should enjoy every little gift, every blessing.

The other night, after craving a certain type of meal for almost a week, I sat down with a friend and was about to take my first bite. Very clearly, I heard the Lord say, “Enjoy this.”

In other words, don’t rush. Don’t overlook the blessing.

Okay, that’s two food examples, let’s look at another type. Our family loves visiting the Pacific Ocean. This last summer during our trip, at the first sign of the rain letting up, we gathered our supplies and made for the dunes. Once over the grassy sand, we trekked out onto the packed sand. Wind immediately assaulted us once past the shelter. I remember my husband’s rolled shoulders, fists tucked into his pockets as he braced himself against the wind. As my older kids splashed around (nothing deters them from getting wet!) I was thinking, we can’t stay out here too long. It’s freezing! But we did. We lingered. We embraced the moment of solitude (what other family would endure those kind of elements for a moment at the water?) and the family time and just played. My preschooler used her sand shovel to explore the beach. She knows how to dig in!

Do you?