A Perfect Fit

Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.

—James 4:8

The door creaked open as I made my way onto the deck and out popped that blonde-haired beauty, her round face turned toward me.

“Hi, Miss Addie! How are you? I’m so happy to see you!” I greeted my granddaughter.

Addie smiled as wide as the open door, and I quickly entered, placing my take-out dinner on the table. I scooped her up and kissed her soft cheeks, first one then the other.

“Are you going to play with me?” She looked up with pleading blue eyes.

“Yes, I am. What do you want to play?”

“This,” Addie pointed to a matching game. “And puzzles.”

I knew that. Addie is the queen of puzzles. She can put them together faster than any three-year-old I know. Heck, faster than me.

“But first Grandma needs to eat her dinner,” her mother Tara reminded, “And you and Eli need to eat too.”

“Let me give Eli a hug.” I lowered Addie to the floor to pick up 11-month-old Eli. His big blue eyes fixed on mine and his mouth broadened, revealing two cute little teeth situated at the front of his bottom jaw. I smothered him with smooches while he twisted this way and that.

“It’s time to eat, Addison,” Tara said while she brought food to the table. “You can put Eli in his high chair,” she gestured toward me.

Before I could wriggle Eli into his seat, he was already reaching for his food.

As soon as the children finished their dinner, their parents were out the door for their post-Valentine night alone.

“Now will you play with me?”

“First I need to eat my dinner.” I balanced Eli on my lap while I shoveled spoonfuls of camarones y arroz into my mouth and yogurt bites into his. Soon Eli was out of yogurt bites and fussing for more. I found the applesauce pouch and squeezed it in his mouth, while I squeezed a few more spoonfuls into mine. In no time, Eli was out of applesauce and fussing for more.

“Are you done with your runch?”

“My runch? I don’t know what you mean. Say it again.”

“Your runch.”

“Oh, my lunch! No, I haven’t finished my dinner yet. And I have to give Eli his bottle.”

I heated the bottle and carried Eli to the couch. I situated him on my lap and wrapped a blanket around us.

“Can I sit beside you?” Addie asked.

“Of course, Sweetie.” I scooted over.

She climbed onto the couch and drew close to me, “I love you.”

My breath caught in my throat, as that was the first time Addie ever said “I love you” to me without any prompting.

I leaned toward her and looked into that sweet face, “I love you too, Honey.”

Eli finished his bottle, and I gave him the pacifier. I snuggled my cheek next to his smooth head and gently patted him till he drifted off to sleep.

“Now will you play with me?” Addie asked after I placed Eli in the crib.

I eyed my cold dinner on the table. “Yes! It’s time to play!”

We spread out the matching game cards and then each of us took turns turning them over, hoping for matches. I soon found out Addie is better than I am at matching games too. She whopped me 24 to 8.

We moved onto puzzles.

“Mommy said we have to do this one on the kitchen floor.” Addie carried the cardboard book, which held a puzzle on each page.

Hmm…I wonder why the kitchen floor and not the living room.

Addie took the puzzle pieces out of each page and then grouped them accordingly. Each group was coded a different color on the back of the pieces.

“I’ll do this one,” she pointed to a pile of green. “Which one do you want to do?”

“I’ll take the pink one.”

Addie turned to her page and went right to work, fitting pieces in the outlined space. “You can help too,” she suggested, as she pushed on a piece. “This piece doesn’t want to go.” She moved the piece slightly, her tongue half-out and pressed between her lips.

I could see that the space was the correct place for the piece, for it matched the outline on the page. “It’s stubborn, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s stubborn,” she repeated.

That’s why we have to do this puzzle on a harder surface than carpet.

Finally, Addie snapped the piece in place and picked up another. So did I.

“This piece is stubborn too,” I said when I had trouble myself.

“This one is stubborn too,” Addie repeated again.

After a few moments of pressing the pieces, we managed to fit them all in place, revealing a beautiful picture of Hello Kitty.

“Perfect! We did it!” I cheered.

“Yeah!”

We moved onto other puzzles, followed by coloring with markers and then crayons. Eventually, we settled on the sofa to watch a show. Addie climbed onto my lap, and I pulled up a cover.

Ahh! Addie and Grandma: a perfect fit.

We have a special bond, Addie and me. Perhaps you know what I’m talking about. Perhaps you too are a grandparent. You know about that special bond. Our relationship with each of our grandchildren is special. Each one is unique.

God desires that type of bond with each of us. And just as Addie waited patiently for me to play with her, so does God wait patiently for our undivided attention. “May I sit beside you? I love you.”

He waits for our response.

When we open a place for Him, we will feel love such as we have never known.

When we give Him a place in our life, we can trust Him to guide us. He has a plan for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11), but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. Living the Christian life takes discipline. Sometimes it forces us to move from our comfy carpet to a harder location. But just because it’s hard doesn’t mean we’re not on the right track. The Word of God gives us an outline for living this life (Micah 6:8). We just need to keep pressing on (Philippians 3:14) and not give up (Galatians 6:9). He is there to help and strengthen us (Isaiah 41:10). “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).

He can help us with those stubborn areas in our life and fit them all together for good (Romans 8:28), and that will be a beautiful picture!

You and God: a perfect fit.

Me and God: a perfect fit too.

Dear God, thank You for Your ever-abiding presence and Your matchless love. May I press on in my Christian walk, no matter how hard it may be, knowing You are with me every step of the way. I trust You to help me with the stubborn pieces of my life and to bring all things together for good (Romans 8:28). I love You. Amen.