I Can Work With That

    My granddaughter has been fighting naps for a while now. When she was smaller I would put her in the playpen at nap time on Grandma day, give her a blankie, snack and sippy cups, a book and a toy and let her fuss herself to sleep. As she grew, there was no room for the book and toys. Then she got tall enough to climb out of the playpen. Nap time was ruined. I tried lying down with her in the big bed near the playpen, but it was like resting with a kangaroo--boing, boing, boing. So now I don't even try to put her down for a nap unless she seems moderate to severely comatose. But on the last two Grandma days, Brie has looked ready to drop off to dreamland with just a little push. Crying is a natural opening act for a nap and, being a toddler, Brie injures herself on a regular basis. Not that I want her to get hurt, but if she hurts herself, I can work with that.
    Two weeks ago she attempted to carry a DVD down to the basement balanced on her thumb. She was so focused on that, she wound up rolling down most of the steps all the way to the landing. They are carpeted and she wasn't hurt, but she was upset and crying and I thought, I can work with that. So I laid her on the downstairs sofa, covered her with a blanket, and dimmed the lights. It wasn't immediately successful, but eventually she was ready to be put in the playpen and took a two hour nap.
    Last Grandma day, she looked tired while riding her little car in our driveway. The car tipped over and again she wasn't hurt, just crying. Another I can work with that opportunity. I walked her back into the house and this time she climbed in the playpen herself and asked for her blankie. That was a much shorter nap due to all the juice she drank that morning, but it was enough to reset her attitude.
    I think that is also how God works with us. He doesn't want us to get hurt and He doesn't need to hurt us, we do that to ourselves. But He uses those opportunities to get us where we need to be, to reset our attitude. Grownups also stumble, in ways less physical but much more shameful than toddlers. It is good to know that when, not if, we stumble God can work with that.