Push or Patience?

One mason jar. A small figurine. Glitter. Glycerin. Water. Glue.

Pretty simple supply list for a snow globe craft I was planning for a small group of kids.

What the directions did not mention was the full scale search of every craft store, toy store, dollar store, Walmart, and Target within a 15 mile radius in hot pursuit of the “right” figurine to fit inside the jar. Not too short, not too tall, not too wide, waterproof, and of course NOT baby-ish.

By the time I arrived at Target, I had exhausted all of my energy and patience for this task. I could hear the alleluia choir singing as I feasted my eyes on an adorable plastic bear in the Valentine section. I enthusiastically pulled out the sample mason jar I had brought along for measuring purposes and began putting the bear inside.

Hmm…could be cutting it close. The little dude was a tad more plump than I was giving him credit for.

Unwilling to accept that this wasn’t going to work either and I’d be back at the starting line, I gave him a good shove into the jar.

Any guesses on what happened next? Yep. Said plastic bear was not my dream come true after all. AND- he was now stuck inside the jar.

After some aggressive shaking, a futile attempt to lure him out with a pen from my purse, and an unnecessary choice word or two muttered under my breath, I pushed the cart out of the aisle to the check-out line. Defeated.

The little bear smirked as I handed the mason jar to the Target team member. It was her first time scanning a trapped, unwanted item through a thick wall of glass. We had a good laugh and I went on my way.

In retrospect, there was a clear indication that I had not found the solution I was seeking. And yet I chose to take matters into my own hands and try to make it happen anyway. A scenario more common than I care to admit.

The reason…..impatience. I want it done. I want to check it off my list and move on to the next thing. And I want to be in charge of how long this is all going to take.

Obviously, the bear incident had low stakes and I did eventually find a darn cute penguin. In other areas of life, continuing to push for something that clearly doesn’t work- just because it’s easier than waiting for the right fit- can cause real issues.

Some of us may even experience this with commitments of time (my hand is in the air!) We bite off more than we can chew or take on a big project without pausing for sincere discernment, only to be left feeling stuck and overwhelmed.

When we are in need of guidance and direction for our lives, the Holy Spirit is the best GPS around!

Time and again, I have been blessed by God’s faithfulness. He speaks to my heart and into my life through His word and through other people, providing astounding clarity. I know this. But I still try to shove that bear into the jar.

I trust God’s plan, I just don’t always want to wait long enough to find out what it is. It sounds a bit like: “Your will be done Lord…but can ya hurry?”

As I work on accepting God’s timing, I’m starting to wonder where exactly I’m always rushing off to. If I’m following Him, I can be sure I’ll land where I need to be… when I need to get there.

The really cool part is that the “waiting” comes complete with its very own treasure. It’s like having a layover in a breathtaking city- time to explore! God has a plan for all of it. How liberating to release the idea that the time spent figuring out what comes next is wasted.

If you are in a waiting period right now wondering if God has forgotten about you, let me assure you that He has not. His timing will prove to be perfect and there is purpose to discover during the waiting. Romans 8:25 says: “If we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.” Easier said than done- but I pray that as we trust God’s timing and follow His lead, we will find patience when we’re tempted to push.

If you’re wondering how things worked out with the snow globe…..

It was a big hit! Once the figurine was acquired, the rest of the project was easy and I definitely recommend it.

Here are the instructions in case you want to give it a try!

MASON JAR SNOW GLOBE

What You Need: 

*One mason jar per child (we used standard pint size jars); *Pure glycerin (found this at the pharmacy); *Glitter (about 1 tablespoon per snow globe); *Waterproof Glue/Epoxy from craft store (E6000 worked really well- the multi-pack of mini tubes is great for a group of kids); *Waterproof toy, figurine, or fake tree to put inside the globe (ours ended up being about 4 inches tall and 2 inches wide…found the penguin at A.C. Moore!); *Markers to trace where to put the figurine on the lid; *Water

Directions:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               1. Take the lid off of the jar and attach the figurine to the bottom of the lid. Use a marker to trace where you want to put the figurine. Test it to be sure the jar will close once it is glued on. Use the waterproof epoxy to attach the figurine to the lid. It is pretty strong stuff so even older kids may need a little help. Drying time will vary, but we did this part the night before so it could dry for many hours before putting it in the water.

2. Put about one tablespoon of glitter into the jar, then fill it almost completely with water. You want the water to be close to the top when the figurine is inside. Once filled, add a few drops of glycerin. This will make the “snow” fall slowly.

3. Once the figurine is fully dry and attached to the lid, apply glue to the rim and threads of the jar and then put the lid back on the jar.

4. Give it a shake and watch it snow!!