In His Hands

I'm a get-it-done kinda gal. Give me a mission, and I'll give you a to-do list with bullet points toward accomplishing the task. Though my daughter and I look nothing alike, she, too, is strong-willed and goal oriented. So, is it any wonder that she was blessed with an independently-minded little girl of her own?

Kinley is 21 months old. Though she's a few months away from 2, she is moving into that toddler phase marked by the "I'll do it myself!" attitude. It seems such a short time ago that her tiny fingers were dwarfed by her Grandpa's big hands.

January 2012 - Just after her birth December 30, 2011

These days, she has definite ideas about how things should be. She has opinions about how best to cover up a dolly for a nap and which book in the mountain of reading material is the right one to read. Even if there's plenty of play equipment around, she would choose to swing all day long.

 

A few weeks ago when I pulled into their driveway for a weekend visit, Kinley came up to the car with an ice bag on her head. She was playing outside with her Mommy and Daddy while they waited on me to arrive. Her feet got tangled up and she fell, head first, onto the cement driveway.

Kinley may have ideas about what she wants to do and the speed with which she wants to do them. But sometimes, she trips and falls. This wasn't her first scrape nor will it be her last.

And you know what? I'm not so different. Too often, I get to traveling at my own speed. I have my to-do list. I have an agenda. I have a plan. I forget that I'm not the one in charge. And I also forget that I don't have to do it on my own.

 There's a bigger picture.

Just like Kinley has someone nearby to pick her up when she falls, I have that, too:

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

- Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

I stumble and fall. I make the same mistakes, over and over again, it seems. And God keeps picking me up, dusting me off, and encouraging me to keep going. 

"The grace of God means something like this: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It's for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift, too."

Author Frederick Buechner

Too often, I shake off the Father's hand. I'm a capable person. I can do it. I don't have to bother God with this little thing in my life. Or I may lay a big concern at the foot of the cross through fervent prayer. But then I pick it back up again. Like a defiant toddler, "I can do it myself."

But my Abba Father is ready to hold my hand. The road may be clear of obstructions some days. Other days, it's filled with twists and turns and uncertainty. But, like the Loving Parent that He is, He grasps my hand. I just have to reach out and hold on.

I like the JJ Heller song called "Your Hands." The bridge says:

Your hands that shaped the world
Are holding me
They hold me still. 

Like the old Sunday School song goes, "He's got the whole world in His hands." As I look at the changing leaves and see the beauty all around me as we transition into fall, I'm amazed that those hands that created the world care so much about each and every one of us.

***

Have you made the transition to fall in your kitchen? Pumpkins and apple cider: Doesn't that sound like the very definition of autumn? Enjoy!

Pumpkin Waffles

with Apple Cider Syrup

Adapted from Kitchen Meets Girl blog

Waffles:
2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted

Apple Cider Syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup apple cider
2 tbsp. butter

Preheat waffle iron. Combine the flour and ingredients through the brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk and eggs. Add melted butter and stir.

Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture just until combined. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's directions. Serve with syrup.

Apple Cider Syrup:
Stir together the sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a saucepan. Add the apple cider. Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil; boil until mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons butter.