It is a very challenging age when a child discovers they can do things for themselves. The new motto of the house becomes, “I CAN DO IT MYSELF!” No more do they want you to help them tie their shoes, zip their coats, or pour their milk. They are big kids, independent, and don’t need your help. So they think. It is wonderful gaining freedom, because with freedom comes independence. No longer relying on the rules or demands of another means we have the power to make our own way. We are free, so we don’t need anyone’s help. But, much like the two year old trying to pour their own milk from a gallon jug, when we take on more than we were meant to handle, a big mess is sure to follow. Now that you are settled in to your freedom and have decided what you are going to do to steward that freedom well and stay free, don’t bite off more than you can chew. In the grand scheme of things, we are just dust in the wind. A puff of air in all of this great big atmosphere, but God speaks in the wind. If we will listen and let Him guide us, we won’t spill the milk. Rather than living in isolated independence relying only on your own strength, operate in dependence of the One who is the source of all strength. You don’t have to shoulder it all on your own. God is ready to help you steady the jug.
