We went to the beach for Spring Break. One of my favorite things to do there is go crabbing. I did a bunch of research and found a great spot that even has a playground next to it and we go crabbing. When I was a child we would catch crayfish off the dock of Starvation Reservoir. We kids LOVED it. We would put a chicken leg attached to a string on the floor of the lake. Then we would attach the string to the dock. The water was shallow enough that we could see the leg through the water. Then we would wait . . . in a few minutes crayfish would emerge from hiding and start eating the leg. If we were quiet and careful we could slowly pull the leg up until we could reach a net underneath and scope the crabs up.
We apply this same technique to catch blue crabs. The biggest difference is that we are on a pier about 10-15 feet above the water. We put the chicken leg in and here come the crabs. Instead of a net with a handle we have a crab basket and have to get the basket under the leg. It takes cooperation and patience. But when you get those crabs you have a sense of accomplishment and delight.
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| Daddy was our man of the hour. Helping everyone, catching the crabs with the net, just being the Superman that he is. |
We never keep the crabs as I don't eat sea food. But we have a blast. Michael was fascinated with the crabs. But he could not understand why we wouldn't let him hold them or touch them. At one point I took him to the bottom of the stairs so that he could see Elizabeth let the crab go. She put it in the water and we watched it swim away. Later that night as I was helping with his prayers I said, "thank you for the crab . . ." and he said, "crab swim!!!" It was delightful to see him remember.
Trust in the Lord
"Just when all seems to be going right, challenges often come in multiple doses applied simultaneously. When those trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11–12 ). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain."
My Nephew Tyler is on a mission. I have loved getting his weekly emails and seeing his growth and feeling the spirit that he is daily discovering. He shared this quote with a family he is teaching and it really hit me to the core. As I read it I wanted to know more about this. I then found the article he got it from and found nuggets of inspiration. The very next paragraph said:
"When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this, now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial? Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of the will of God is very hard to do. Yet, when you pray with real conviction, “Please let me know Thy will” and “May Thy will be done,” you are in the strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father."
Wow!! Just what I needed. Too many times I ask why. I have heard over and over again about how we need to learn from our trials, that they help us to grow but I didn't know how to do that. These questions are the perfect answer. They make sense to me. They give me somewhere to start from. I am putting these questions on my mirror and in the kitchen to remind me of what and how to pray in times of trial. The article continues:
"Your Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son love you perfectly. They would not require you to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for your personal benefit or for that of those you love."This was so sweet and tender. It reminds me of when I had to take Michael to the doctor to receive a shot, three days in a row, so that he could get rid of his ear infections. Oh, how I hated to make him cry. The third day he had figured this out and even requested tenderly, "No, bobo." Oh how I wanted to honor that request but I knew he had to have the shot. How grateful I was that he did not have to have another. I could have opted for tubes but it would not benefit him and so the pain stopped. This is how I want to see my Father in Heaven when I have a trial. Only making me go so far as I need to in order to grow. I am continually grateful for His love. I am continually grateful for the insight that He gives me. He lets me learn line upon line and helps me see what to do and what He is doing. I have complete faith and trust in Him.
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