It was a beautiful September weekend and two unexpected phone calls alerted us to the fact that we were going to have visitors. One daughter and son-in-law, five-year grandson and a three-year old granddaughter arriving from Nevada and a daughter and nine-year-old granddaughter arriving from Montana. Time with family is rare so this was a special weekend surprise.
Midmorning the migration to our vegetable garden started. With shovels the adults got busy cutting down corn stalks to haul to the neighbors’ goats, and harvesting the potatoes and carrots. The nine-year old and five-year old started creating a race track for 2 backpacks full of Monster trucks. That left one three-year old to her own devices. She got busy with her own project. Migrating things out of the travel trailer onto a blanket, setting up a garage sale. With a few coins, I bought some hand lotion and a makeup mirror. Then Mom came over to check out the sale. All was fine until Mom asked the big question. “Are you selling my makeup?” The look on the granddaughter’s face was “oh, oh, busted” and so priceless.
The stage has been set for the lesson of the three frogs. During the day the five-year grandson found a little frog. Grandma came to the rescue with a jar for the frog with the proper grass, water, and a branch. Later that day, the grandson found another frog and that frog was added to the jar with his brother.
The rest of the weekend passed quickly by and Sunday night was spent packing up the trailer for early Monday departure. The parents turned their attention to the frogs and took their son to the edge of the garden, sat down to let him know that the frogs needed to be set free. The dilemma of a five-year old wanting to keep his frogs and helping him to understand what was best for the frogs created melt down. After a few minutes of trying to help him understand what was best for the frogs, with a sobbing heart decided to let them go. While setting the two frogs loose, a third frog hopped out from under the bushes, reinforcing the idea that the frogs needed to stay with their family.
That was a touch of God’s tender mercies in the life of a little one. The two- fold lesson was for the parents as well. As we try to teach our children the right way and to be considerate of the welfare of others, God is in the details of life and knows the needs of our hearts. Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? (NKJ)
Never forget the lesson of the three frogs when your heart is troubled. God is in the details of our lives.