Over the past several months I’ve had the privilege of co-planning our church’s Ladies Retreat. Between the three of us mommas who are leading the committee, we have seven children which means planning meetings are interesting to say the least. Early on in the planning process we met at the church so the kids could run wild in the confines of the playscape (the indoor playground). At best, we had about five minutes to discuss topics before a little came strolling out to “help” with our meeting.

One event that brought about a lot of pulling, whining, and a few shed tears boiled down to a toy that everyone wanted. A slinky-not even a full size slinky but a mini one. My friends and I just smiled and looked at each other as we watched the kids try to figure it out, eventually intervening by removing said slinky from the situation.

I usually stand in disbelief each time these events happen. Granted, the kids are young and still learning the hard lesson of sharing. But more than that, the toy that is often fought over pales in comparison to what they could be playing with. In this case, they had an entire playscape just waiting to be explored.

The words of correction and exhortation had not left my lips before I realized the message was more for me than for the children. God has called us to something bigger and better than what we often settle for on this earth. He has given us freedom in Christ and we bind chains of the law. He tells us he will never leave us or forsake us yet we worry about money. We store up possessions on earth that will soon be destroyed and he offers lasting treasures. He has given us the playscape of heaven and we grovel over the slinky of this life.

It’s pretty simple. God offers us riches in Christ and ultimately heaven. Let’s stop pulling, whining, and shedding tears over things as insignificant as a slinky and just enjoy the playscape that God offers us through Christ.

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