It was a tug-of-war game with the tape dispenser. My son Jon and I were wrapping a birthday present together. My job was to cut and hold the paper, and Jon had tape duty. For Jon, any activity that involves motor skills can be challenging.
Here’s why: motor skills are muscle-related actions that accomplish a task . . . our bodies in motion. Separated into two main categories:
- Large (gross) muscle actions include walking, throwing, swimming, and climbing.
- Small (fine) motor skills involve writing, tying, eating, and picking things up (to name only a few examples).
Jon has motor skill challenges, so I’m always on the lookout for skill development that’s fun too. Wrapping a present is perfect because it’s fun, and it takes about 123 ligaments and 34 muscles (literally); so it fits the goal. Jon worked tirelessly for each piece of tape. Some pieces were very long, some stuck together, and a couple we tossed to the side because they had lost all stickiness. We laughed along the way, and in the end, we smiled at our combined success.
Patience, Perseverance, and More Patience
Years ago, I would’ve been frustrated, ignorant, impatient, and clueless about muscles and bodies . . . and how miraculous it is that any body works in some sort of coordinated fashion.
However, just about the time I reflectively feel more maturely refined, I totally and thoroughly blow it.
Two days after our wrapping party, Jon was trying to get his school notebook into his backpack; let’s say it was like threading a needle. Now stop and remember; over a hundred muscles and ligaments to wrap a present . . . getting a massive binder past a bazillion pockets, papers, and pencils is an athletic event. Short on time and obviously shorter on patience, I swiftly jumped in and shoved the notebook into the bag, which then fell over, spilling his stuff onto the floor.
Talk about being a jerk! How I wished I had Jon’s ability to persevere with patience.
For a few moments, everything stopped. I reached over, lifted his face, and asked for forgiveness. I asked if we could start over, and I asked if I could help. (I wanted to ask him to hit me in the head with his backpack because taking a hit would have been less painful than being humbled.)
Jon is ever-forgiving; I’m ever in need of forgiveness.
Like Jon’s physical challenges, we all stumble and struggle. Our bodies may not be broken, but our souls really are. We are full of needs. We need help. We need forgiveness. And we need someone to help us pick up the pieces of the messes we make.
That is why we need Jesus.
Let Me Hear from You
Maybe time needs to stop for a few moments in your life.
- Perhaps you’ve made a mess or two.
- Perhaps you’ve been harsh, impatient, and unkind to others . . . and ungrateful for all you have been given.
Life is a gift. Grace is the biggest and best gift we are given in this life. Isn’t it time to ask Christ to help you? He’s there ready to help you start over; just ask for His help. What are you going to start over this week? Let’s talk about that in the comments section provided here.
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