>Want to Need

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“Mommy, I need you!” It was a cheerful call, so I knew it wasn’t anything urgent. Steven was in the bathtub. He had just finished cleaning up his bath toys, and he was awaiting my help getting him soaped off and his hair shampooed.

I walked into the bathroom and asked in a rather silly voice, “Why do you need me?”

“Because I want to!” came the cheerful response.

Because he wants to!

There are quite a few things that Steven can do on his own. At three and a half, he is very capable when it comes to making his own bed, getting himself dressed and undressed, taking himself to the bathroom, climbing in and out of his booster seat at the table, partially buckling himself into his car seat, gathering trash cans from around the house and returning them to their proper locations when they’re empty, and so on and so forth. But, as independent as he is in many ways, it is still not at all rare for him to want my help in all of these things and more.

He wants to need me!

His statement made me stop and think. How many things do I go and do all on my own simply because I can? How many times am I convinced that the task before me is something I am perfectly capable of – something I really don’t need help with? How many things has God enabled me to do on my own just so He can hear me say that I want to need Him?

Around 9:00 the other night, Doug and I heard Steven crying in the hallway. I went out to see what was wrong, and he wailed, “I need to go potty!” I told him (as patiently as I could) that he didn’t have to cry – he could just go. “But I want you to help me!” Now, he’s been taking himself to the bathroom for quite some time now, so I asked him why he couldn’t just go potty himself. “Because I love you!” was his answer.

I can wash a sink full of dishes all on my own just as easily as Steven can go to the bathroom by himself. But, what might it do for my relationship with the Lord if I called upon His help. Not for invisible hands to rinse, but for Him to keep my heart and mind stayed joyfully on Him through the chore. It wouldn’t change His love for me one iota, but it would open time with Him. Be an action to show my love for him. Increase my interaction with Him. Provide a moment of intimacy with him.

Steven and I are a pretty close pair. I don’t love him any more than I do my girls, but he chooses to need me more than they do. Sometimes it can be a little frustrating to this human mama. Sometimes I wish he would just go potty by himself! But, it also gives us a different sort of connection – a sort of bond that I don’t share with my more independent girls.

I pray that every time my son chooses to need me when he really could do it on his own I will be reminded to choose to need my Father just a little more.