Obstacle Course

Gabriella made an obstacle course this evening for Isabella. Of course to me it looked like a HUGE mess! Almost every book and lots of toys were scattered in the family room.
I said,
"Oh my, this is quite the mess!"
Gabriella told me,
"Oh no, it is exactly the way it is supposed to be."

So I asked her where I start and she proceeded to tell me where and what to do. I have to say I was quite impressed by the difficulty of the obstacle course and how carefully everything was placed with thorough thought. I had to turn whole books with only my feet and if I stepped into the headband and touched a polka dot, I would be out of the course. There was a lot of pressure to make sure I did everything just right! It was a lot of fun!

I loved obstacle courses set up by my phy-ed teachers when I was a young girl and even in the most recent years at a bootcamp class I attended at the club. I started to ponder how my life sometimes feels like an obstacle course. My course starts early in the morning and does not stop until I hit my pillow. There are days where it can be long and sometimes I feel frustrated when I touch that "polka-dot" where I wish I could go take a break!

I am reminded of one of Isaiah's favorite Bible verse from 1 Corinthians 9:24-25:

"Do you not know that in a race all runners run,, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will that will last forever."

My days are spent loving on my children, teaching them how to love others the way God loves them, but mostly instilling into them the love God has for them and how they were created in His image for a specific plan and purpose. You combine this with the "daily-ness" of life and you have one HUGE obstacle course. The best and most rewarding obstacle course of all, GOD'S!