“Faster Mommy”
By Sarah McDonald
Last Christmas, Santa brought my children a climbing rope swing for the tree in our backyard. My two older boys took quickly to the challenge with my middle boy making it up the rope first. This lit quite a fire under #1, who very soon after figured out how to get himself up to the top. You gotta love some brotherly competition!
Santa did a good job with this one. Even though not all were able to climb it, each of my children have enjoyed the benefits of our rope swing.
My older daughter stands on the swing and swings, and my third son and the baby (Happy Face) sit on the bottom rung and swing.
While my son enjoys what he calls “power swings” that curve around the tree, my Happy Face sits cautiously and swings slowly until I come outside. Then, I hear the sweet sound of her voice saying, “Swing me, mommy” soon followed by giggles and “Faster, faster, mommy!” as I swing her back and forth.
My Happy Face loves to swing in any swing and loves that she can now swing in her own backyard, “her home” as she always refers to our house.
One afternoon, my Happy Face fell off the swing as I was swinging her, resulting in tears from both her and me! To my surprise, her tears were short lived and she climbed right back on the swing again asking me to go “Faster, mommy.”
It was a sweet little lesson for me in trusting in God. Not only is she more free and happy when she trusts me to swing her faster and faster, but, even after a fall, she was right back up to try again.
In some challenging times, this was a beautiful analogy for me on the love of God and trusting in him. That day and every day since, I have prayed to trust in him, no matter the circumstances, like my little Happy Face trusts in me.
At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:1-4).
