Trust

Calvin had a loose tooth. It was bulging through and ready to spring, but he wouldn't let it go. He was afraid it would hurt and so he wouldn't let any of us touch it. He had seen how tricky I had been with Coleman the other night. When he wasn't looking I grabbed the green, shaggy piece of yarn we had tied around Coleman's loose tooth and yanked. Painlessly, happily, the tooth surrendered and flew from his mouth and Coleman laughed. But Calvin didn't want to be surprised. He wouldn't surrender his tooth to me or Cam. But Cam usually has a way with Calvin, so I let him take over.

"I promise, Calvin, it won't hurt. Trust me."

"No, it will hurt! I'll do it myself."

"No, Calvin. I promise. I'll just .. . "

But Calvin refused.

Standing in the bathroom, the tooth pushing in and out, Calvin stood strong and Cam begged to pull it out easily, harmlessly.

"Cal, can't you just trust me on this? I'll save you SO much pain!" Our way was so much easier. Why couldn't he see that?

"Daddy, can't I just trust you on a different thing?"

In exasperation, he left Calvin's tooth to itself, but it was strange how familiar those words were to Cam. How many times had he said that very thing to his Father in Heaven? I trust you, I do, but can't I just trust you on something else? This one is too big, too scary, too hard to let go of--and so we experience the pain and the failure on our own instead of letting Him take it and fix it by doing it His way--the only really good way.

Thanks for the reminder, Calvin.