My daughter has been learning how to tie her shoes. This seems like an exciting thing as a parent until you get down to the nuts and bolts of actually teaching the process. I think that there should be books written on the subject as it has seemed as difficult as potty training to me.
First of all, my daughter has very little patience. Scratch that. My daughter has no patience. (The apple doesn't really fall far from the tree, I'm sorry to say!) If I begin to show her she is grabbing all over the place all while screaming. Now, the great thing about this is that I am crouched down on the floor with her. A position that is not the best for mom, especially when in this position my belly seems to try and creep over the waist of my pants. (That is a whole other blog.) My feet seem to fall asleep so quikly as well. Not a fun feeling. Then, of course, because we are in close proximity I get my daughters fitfull screams right in my face. Again, not a good thing for mom who is challenged in the area of patience herself. So let me review: Frustrated 5 year old with meatball breath screaming into mom's face who is uncomfortably crouched over in a position that reminds her that she hasn't used her eliptical since, umm, well I can't recall. Not a good scene.
My next challenge is that my daughter is left handed and I am right handed. For some reason my little brain can't really comprehend how to switch things around to show my daughter how she would do it with her left hand. So as I try to show her as I also try to find words that can explain what it is that I am doing. Bunny ears are of course the classic explanation for the "loopy" things, so thank you to whomever came up with that terminology. So, daughter, you make an x and pull one of the laces through. Then, you make two "bunny ears" and you cross those and then you push one bunny ear through a "hole" that somtimes is difficult to find and there you go. You too, daughter, can tie like a pro.
Simple enough. But of course as she tries to make bunny ears they don't look like the ones that mommy showed her. Then as she tries to pull one through the other and the bunny ear disappears and the shoelaces seem to melt into spaghetti noodle type strands that melt back onto the top of her shoe. No neat bow, just a mess.
After several attempts and much (miraculous God-given) patience on my part, my daughter looses it. I had tried quiet encouragement and softly-spoken words, but nothing could help my now irate and tazmanian-like daughter. I found it best at this point to exit the room. After several minutes, she came to me frazzled and in tears, "My bunny ears have completely fallen flat on the floor." I scooped her up and encouraged her once again, "Tying can be very frustrating, can't it. We'll just keep trying and you will get it!"
My daughter did manage to tie once or twice, but the bunny ears were overly long and floppy and of course one of them was pulled so tight that it came loose. Yet, it was a victory to her so I didn't point out the obvious flaws...not a good time and who was I to judge? :)
So many times I have found myself with "bunny ears" of sorts flopped flat on the floor in front of me. Most of the time that I find myself in this frustrated frenzy is when I am either trying to do the tying "all by myself" (insert foot stamping here) or when I am trying to tie someone's shoes that I was never intended to tie. What a mess a little string can be. I was just sharing with a friend today on this very same topic. Abiding in Christ and allowing Him to lead is a full time job for sure. And how many times have I skimped on devotions for the sake of time or just skipped it all together because I didn't have time and then wondered why my bunny ears weren't looking so well?? Duh. I have had a lot of those "duh" moments lately.
Lord, thank you for your patience with me and my blundering. Thank you for your faithfulness to me when I stamp my feet and demand that "I do it myself." Thank you for loving me when I run around in circles because I am not seeking you and your will. You are the Great and Awesome God. Thank you that with you ALL things are possible. Even teaching my daughter to tie her shoes.
