We’ve been getting into something that teachers and some parents might know as “messy play” in our home. It’s a sensory experience for my busy toddler boy that can keep him occupied for more than just a few minutes (usually). He loves to explore whatever it is that we’ve set out to do and make a mess while doing it. One week we painted with cars. Yesterday I put rice in a tray for Asher to dig in with his diggers.
But I struggle with this so-called messy play because it’s just that—messy. The control freak in me wants to control how much mess gets spread beyond Asher’s boundaries. When we used cars to paint, it wasn’t the paint that made the mess but the clean-up. Soapy water everywhere, and my first reaction was to take over from Asher and clean it up because I needed control of the situation.
I needed control.
Why do I think I need control? Why do I struggle to let my son make a mess when he plays? Why is it so hard for me to let go when Asher cries out, “Asher do it!” It must be my cover-up for life’s imperfections. We don’t have to have everything under control when it comes to eternity. We can trust God. He’s got everything under control so we don’t have to. We can make all the plans we want, but ultimately God makes all the plans for our good and His glory. It’s out of our control, and we don’t have to be in control. It’s not being lazy, it’s trusting our lack of control to Him who is sovereignly in control.
