Out of Control

"Nana, I'm out of control!"  So began a conversation with my grandson Christopher a couple of weeks ago.  I've been chuckling about it ever since!

Christopher turned 5 a couple of weeks ago.  His actual birthday was on Monday, so the party was held on the prior Saturday.  On that particular Saturday morning, I was on the phone with Christopher's dad, my older son Brian, and could sense that Christopher's excitement about the coming party was causing a little stress for his parents!!  The same child who, just a few weeks earlier, had said to his mother something like "when it's my birthday and all my friends come to my house, can we clean this place up a little bit?" was now being most unhelpful when it came to party preparations!!  And when Brian handed the phone off to Christopher, those were the first words I heard......"Nana, I'm out of control!"  Made me wonder just how many times he had already heard that phrase that morning :)

I had a good laugh about that on that Saturday.  As I related the conversation to Al, we had a good laugh.  In the weeks since, I have smiled a lot as I considered Christopher being "out of control".

However.......thinking about that phrase has also caused me to stop and consider my own life.  To get serious about the times I am out of control.  The times I eat too much.  Or the times I eat the wrong things.  Or the times I spend too much.  Or when I waste time. Or........

And, without meaning to be the least irreverent or sacreligious, I wonder how often my Heavenly Father is shaking His head at me and saying, "Susan, you're out of control." 

There are the times I have "done my own thing" rather than waiting on God.  The times I have made decisions and then just expected that God would approve and bless them.  The times I have forgotten to say "thank You".  The times I have tried to lead rather than follow.

So, while it was cute to hear a 5-year old "confess" to me that he was out of control, it isn't nearly as cute when I, many decades older, must confess to my Heavenly Father that I have been out of control!

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control....."  (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)