I'm one that is usually a little more naturally inclined to look at the dark side of things rather than the bright side, the bad over the good, the "glass-is-half-empty" phenom- enon over the "glass-is-half full" phenomenon. It's one of those things, among so many, that I really don't like about myself. I have friends and family in my life that help balance me out and push me to see the opposite paradigm. Thank God for them.
When it comes to mankind, I hear and read about so much wickedness in the world. Everywhere I turn it haunts me like a frightening ghost. I don't fully understand it all, and must fall to my knees and cry out to God who is infinitely wise. He alone is all knowing, and He alone can supply peace in the midst of the confusing, the abstract and the unknown.
Poppy and Willow helped me see the good side of things just the other day, which gave me a slight glimpse into the nature of God. Victoria and Kristen (Meagan's sister living with us for the summer) went to a women's Bible study the other evening. As they left the house to go to the hosting home, Poppy became so morose. Her love for and attachment to her mother is so overwhelmingly strong that it's almost impossible to describe. It's something that has to be witnessed. So I decided that in order to cheer her up I'd take the girls for a long walk up the hillside to watch the sunset. It was a beautiful evening and God's glory was out in radiant display. We talked off and on about God's artistry, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get Poppy to stop thinking and talking about Victoria. About every five to ten minutes or so she'd get those pitiful alligator tears streaming down her rosy, plump cheeks. I attempted with all my heartfelt emotion to encourage her that Momma would be home soon, but that didn't seem to comfort her. She said to me on a couple of occasions, "Daddy, I just can't help the tears. They keep on coming no matter how hard I try to stop." This almost brought me to tears too, so I sat on the ground, held her in my lap with her special pink "blankie", and just rocked her. She seemed to settle down a bit. In the midst of all the commotion Willow just kept looking at Poppy and then looking over at me and saying, "Wheelo haaappie".
Poppy's love for her Momma is a naturally good thing. Where did that come from? It's designed and created within her. Willow's desire to smooth things out so others are not sorrowful is a good thing. Where did that come from? It's designed and created within her. At their age they didn't connive and craft a manipulating scheme to get my attention or to foster peace. I'm well aware of their natural tendency to transgress, but experiencing this encounter with them on Wednesday night prompted me to thank God for His perfectly orchestrated image found in every human being. While that goodness is never enough to put us in perfect stead with God (cf. Romans 3:10-18), it is enough to reflect His glory.
In spite of the sadness of the evening, it was satisfying to see the magnificence of God's design in the midst of it all. These girls continue to push all of us older Kruggel's to places we use to enjoy but lost before Poppy and Willow were found. Momma eventually came home and all was well once again in the Poppy-fields.
Seeing the Glass Half-Full,
Tom (& Victoria)
1 comment:
I tend to be a glass half-empty type of guy myself. But I also tend to be a "I can answer the question of whether the glass is half empty or half full by noting whether the glass started full and was in the process of being emptied or started empty and was in the process of being filled when the water stopped at the half way point just to mess with people's heads" type of guy.
Either way, I don't have an answer as to what to do for the little one who misses his/her mommy. "Let's put on Elmo diapers!" works for a few minutes.
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