There were also two age-appropriate play structures with lots of climbing and sliding and exploring areas. One was the perfect size for Anna and she happily played for a long time. She especially loved the "driving" spot.....
where she spun that wheel around and around! (Pretty sure she will be a wild driver if her performance as a 2 year old is any picture of her potential abilities). She also managed to climb and slide on the older kids playset, which gave this Grandma more than one near heart attack. I am learning (from Gwen) that it is really okay for the kids to try their wings at the playground so I am practicing NOT being one of those over protective people while still managing to keep the kids safe. It is a tricky balancing act, I can assure you. There was also a really neat rock climbing structure (it looked like a pile of big rocks.....)
and Zeke managed to climb to the top AND get down, ALL BY HIMSELF! I forgot to mention that he also got off of the beaver house ALL BY HIMSELF! Again, quite the accomplishment for a five year old. There was also a structure that looked like a floating log that the kids could crawl through.
Kids of all ages really enjoyed doing this. Anna laughed the entire way through the log. She thought it was the greatest thing. There were also swings - including swings for special needs children. Such an amazing park.
I am always amazed at how much things have changed in the last 25 years or so when it comes to parks and playgrounds. I would have loved to have a place like this to bring my own children! We were lucky to have swings and slides - usually the old metal ones that got so hot in the summer you couldn't touch them! It is such a blessing that my grandchildren now have wonderful places to play and explore.
So, what are the lessons I learned at this playground? Well, for starters, I once again understand just how very blessed we are in the United States to have play places for our children. I just watched some video from a ministry that was visiting Belize to distribute clothing and food for the children. They fed over 500 kids in a small village. The dresses that they gave out were the only clothes that most of these children had. And the village was just a cluster of small huts with a muddy, dirt patch surrounding it all. Yes, we are blessed with homes, with clothes, with food and WATER, and then blessed beyond measure with these kinds of play spaces for us and our children.
I leaned about stepping outside of my comfort zone by watching Zeke and Anna be daring and brave. They made it seem not only easy, but also lots of fun. Even when they got a little stuck, like Anna did when trying to cross a wiggling bridge, they were willing to keep going with just a small amount of encouragement. How many times have I looked at a situation or a task and thought "this is just to hard for me" or "I am not qualified to do this". And when I wasn't daring or brave enough to TRY, I missed out on the fun of the process and also the joy at accomplishing the task.
I learned that sometimes you have to get on your knees and even crawl if you want to get to the end of the tunnel. How many times have I felt like I am in a really dark and scary place. And even when I have been able to see the light at the end of that tunnel, it still seemed just impossible to get there. What a lesson I learned at the playground! Wouldn't it have been easier, in those dark times, if only I had "dropped to my knees" in prayer? Things would not have seemed quite so scary or hard from that perspective. I know that so many times I found myself frozen and unable to even move. I am sure that had I changed my perspective, taken the time to seek Jesus in the situation, I would have been better able to work my way out of those dark places - with His help. I might have been crawling, but I would have been moving!
And once again, I learned a lesson about balance. Yes, I saw the kids working on their balance skills as they walked over "beavers" in the "water" or tried to ride on the giant turtles back. But more than that, Jesus reminded me about letting go. You know, letting go of those we love. That balancing act of caring and loving along with letting others make their own choices and walk their own path. This is no easy task for mothers - to let go of their children, let me tell you! But this also includes our friends and relatives and neighbors. When we love greatly, it is hard to let go and watch them slip and fall. What a good reminder it was for me to see that big smile and jumping excitement from Zeke when he managed that rock climb and the descent! If I had stepped in and stopped him from trying - or helped him down, he would have missed out on that satisfaction of doing it himself. I confess there were some pretty scary moments for this grandma when it looked like Zeke was in danger of falling off of those rocks. I managed to stay close enough to Zeke to keep my heart beating in my chest, while far enough away to give him the freedom to do it himself.
This balance thing is pretty tricky. It is especially hard when so much of the letting go is out of your control. Unlike the kids on this relatively safe playground, our family members or friends often choose to walk very dangerous paths and we are not there to "save" them if they stumble or fall. I was reminded at my small group today of this amazing song and it's message He Will Come and Save by Bob Fitts. When we are able to let go, Jesus will be there to take care of those we love. He will be the one to save them. What an amazing and wonderful lesson from the playground!
Jesus, thank you for being my Savior. What a blessing it is to know that you are there to save all - my family, friends and neighbors. Holy Spirit, help us all to be able to let go of those we love - even when it looks so scary and so hard. Remind us to look to you when times are hard and we are facing dark times. Thank you for children and all the lessons you teach us through them. Amen
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