The Bed And The Wheelbarrow

"E" stands for our oldest 4 year old boy and "e" stands for our younger 2 year old boy - Sorry, if it is confusing.

Our two boys have very different personalities. "E" - now 4 years old, loves to imagine, create, tell stories - That kind of thing. He cannot have a toy sword in his hand and just play with it. There has to be a story behind it. He has to be saving the world or something comparable. "e" - now 2 years old, loves to throw, climb, jump, and push or shove anything in his way - All with a smile of course. We have had to have two different approaches in regards to how to get these guys down at bedtime.

With "E" the issue was always talking. He wanted to find any excuse to talk to you about anything and everything. He soon learned to continue to create stories at bedtime. He would just learn to create them quietly in his head.

But this story is about little "e" - "e" deals with different issues when going to sleep. Some examples include but are not limited to: not beating on the wall with his hands or his feet, not throwing everything out of his bed, not kicking the bottom of his brother's bed in the top bunk, not hanging upside down from the bunkbed ladder, not scaling the foot of the bed to get in bed with his brother. So, if "e" is running around the house when it is close to bed time - I let him keep running around the house. I figure the more energy burned off the better. This particular evening, "e" was pushing his blue plastic wheelbarrow. As with many younger sibling toys, this was a hand me down from his brother. "e" has definitely put it to more use and this evening was going full speed throughout the house. It is a good thing he had no cargo because it would have all been spilling out. I decided to let him get some of his energy out as he enthusiastically pushed the blue wheelbarrow from room to room as if he was giving an imaginary friend a ride, laughing the whole time and running full speed. But, the time came. It was time for bed. And, although I valued the energy "e" expended running around the house with the blue wheelbarrow I wondered how he would take having to end his adventure for the evening. I pictured in my mind that I would convince him he could save some of his blue wheelbarrow pushing for morning. It was time. I told "e", It's time for bed. Go ahead and get in bed now. To my surprise "e" gave no inkling of frustration or disagreement. Instead, he walked straight toward his bed to get in. But, not before lifting up the blue wheelbarrow and putting it in the bed first.

Don't we want to take it with us? We deal with that struggle of wanting to do what God has called us to do. But, we want to hang on to something that has given us enjoyment in the past while trying to flow with what God is calling us to do at the same time. The problem is, you don't sleep as well with the wheelbarrow in the bed. What happens in our real lives is that when we try to do what God has for us to do we keep hitting our head, leg, or something on the wheelbarrow. We need to deal with it and move on to what He wants for us.

Mark 10:21 of the New International Version of the Bible says: Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

Do not hang on to what you have known so that God can reveal to you something greater that you do not yet know.