My husband, Mark, has a very good sense of humor.  He used to compare our child-raising efforts to pushing a wheelbarrow full of frogs.  It takes a concentrated effort to keep them all in the wheelbarrow at once.  So, when there were challenges we’d say, “This kid’s out of the wheelbarrow,” meaning they weren’t behaving or responding as we, the parents, wanted them to.

From the journal . . . . July 2013

This was an entry concerning one of my daughters (I’ll call her Suzanne) over ten years ago. She was a single mom at the time, and I had hoped she could go camping with us, but that wasn’t going to work out. 

Lord, I talked to Suzanne.  She isn’t going camping.  I’m disappointed but understand how complicated it would be with the kids’ dad.  She was discouraged and, as her mom, so was I. As we talked, she started venting about her bad day.  She was tired and things kept going wrong.  I mentioned You as a way of encouragement but she got kinda snippy.

Later I said to Mark, “I think she’s out of the wheelbarrow.”  Mark said, “Yeah, but it’s time for the mom with unconditional love.”

And I Believe God Said:

Absolutely.  Suzanne is more vulnerable than you think.  You need to be loving.  She knows you.  She knows you are committed to Me and she knows you only want good for her.   She has some misconceptions as well, but you can’t fix that.  Trust Me and be patient with her.  Guard your lips when you are frustrated.  And don’t jump to conclusions.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. 

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. NLT

Amen and Thank You Lord!

As I read this today, I can understand why she wasn’t receptive, but it doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have responded by pointing to God.  We can’t know for sure what’s in someone’s heart.  Of course, moods and emotions can certainly affect communication both for the giver and the receiver. We always need to seek God for discernment and clarity before jumping to conclusions.

Mark’s response and the Lord’s was what I needed, and I still try to keep this in mind when trying to help.