where waves grow sweet

When Chase was much younger, he had a subscription to a monthly activity box called a Koala Crate. The activity was often an art project, like a sun catcher for the kitchen window, or a fun game we got to make and then play. It was always an enjoyable way to fill time together. When he started going to school, his time and energy were filled up in other ways so we canceled our subscription and moved on.

In one of my recent meal kits, I found a coupon for a free box from the same company and figured it might be worth trying one of the older kid versions, namely the Tinker Crate, which is still creative but focuses on engineering. After running it by Chase who gave a tepid “sure,” I ordered the free activity box, as well as an additional one that looked particularly fun.

After both arrived in the mail, I put them on our dining room table, also known as “the big table,” and let Chase know of their presence. His interest level was low so there they sat for a few days, unopened and pretty much unwanted. I sent along the catapult to a play date thinking it would be fun to do together. His friend was pretty positive about it but Chase, while impressed with his friend’s ability to create more power by tweaking the tension, was still fairly lackluster.

The other box, a domino machine, seemed to be calling my name so I set up shop at the big table and dumped the contents, deciding to build it whether or not Chase wanted to participate. As a quick aside, I am terrible at following instructions. Details, like which particular direction a thing should go, seem far beyond my mental capacity. I think Chase’s interest was piqued not only because the inside of the box was far more interesting than the outside, but also to intervene in my constant refrain of “oops.”

We spent the next 45 minutes building the cutest little machine you ever saw and had the best time doing it. Not only that, but the thing actually worked! After a stack of dominos were placed inside its compartment, it worked backwards, setting each one up in a straight line with the perfect distance between each one. With its googly eyes and smiling mouth, it even looked happy while doing it. Chase bonded immediately, named it Roger and slept with it on his bedside table. As a mom, the real value for me was the experience of being together while building, problem solving and laughing. A few days later, we put together the other part of the catapult box, which turned it into a game with points. It was way more fun than the catapult alone and gifted us with yet more time to laugh and play together.

What stuck out to me was the difference between facilitating an activity that he could do versus inviting him into an activity with me (and his friend) to build not only a functional machine but also relationship. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the former and there are many things that happen that way in our house, but we both got so much more joy from the latter. While Chase fully acknowledged this, he still has a lid on his enthusiasm for future boxes. But honestly, I can’t wait because it’s fun! And it’s together! 

This got me thinking how much this is the way God works with us. He doesn’t just pile up activities or opportunities on a table at the far end of the house, saying we could or should do them. He sets up shop on the table and invites us over to see how much more interesting things are on the inside than what they appear to be on the outside. His enthusiasm draws us close (and, fortunately, He doesn’t have a single “oops” in His vocabulary). Without even realizing it, we are bringing Him joy by entering in. Good things are built as we work together, but even better than that is the relationship that is built in the process and the fun and laughter that it produces, not to mention the creativity and solutions that happen as we problem-solve together. Even when we aren’t excited about what’s to come, He can’t contain his own because He loves to be with us and can’t wait to invite us into all the good things He has in store.