This morning, the youngest Nelson turned in her last science fair project. As I dropped the child, props and tri-fold poster board off, there were no mixed emotions. I was thrilled and relieved. I have spent 100’s of dollars and hours over my career as a mom in the time-sucking, stress-inducing, calorie-burning, gas-guzzling, Target-supporting, day of rest-robbing, Sharpie-staining world of the Science Fair project. Those days are over… Hallelujah!
As is my nature to do, I spent some time reflecting over all the science fair projects we have tackled over the last couple decades. I am always struck by how different my children are from each other, but as dissimilar as they are, their attitudes and effort toward science fair projects are remarkably similar. When the project is assigned, they feel no sense of urgency or excitement. They know they will have to do it, but they wait until the last minute to take on the challenge. None of them have been inspired to turn in the best project; they are not motivated to win. Inevitably, they each wait until the weekend before it is due, and they methodically check each point off of the rubric in hopes of doing good enough to get a “B”. As they near completion of the project, their spirits rally; they find pride in their work and their hope begins to swell. They invite their dad to come inspect the work, because they know he will be proud and praise them. They needed my help every step of the way. They could not gather or afford supplies on their own. They needed guidance in their lack of ability to see the big picture. They would have loved it if I had just done the entire project for them (and truthfully, I would have done a much better job), but as I stood in the wings, with my hands in my pockets, their confidence grew. I supplied the tools, overview and encouragement and then I backed off; I always remained close by if they had questions or needed advice, and I was there to praise them when they finished.
This morning, my daughter’s pride and pleasure in her project will fade. She will compare her project to the other ones that are bigger, neater and more beautiful. Her project will be judged by many and marked up by one or two. She may lose sight of the joy she found in learning something new and the contentment she enjoyed last night will be forgotten.
I realized this morning that I tackle so much of life like an 8th grade science project. Our Heavenly Father is such a great teacher. He has prepared and established good works for me. He has given me all the tools, instructions and encouragement I need, but I drag my feet. I see the pile of laundry and shopping list and give it a higher priority than serving my neighbor. I turn on the “Today Show” instead of spending the time praying for missionaries. I get so intimidated about the bigger, kingdom projects, and when I do obey, I am tempted to think that I have done something really great. I swell with pride, because my “stuff” looks good. I forget that God doesn’t need me to help establish His kingdom. He can do a much better job without me. He is showing me His incredible love by including me in the “project”. I get to learn and receive the joy of His pleasure through obedience. The creator of mountains and oceans and volcanoes praises me for my little baking soda and vinegar volcano effort. He reminds me that His pleasure is in my obedience and not in how my stuff compares to others. My joy is complete in Him, and not in how beautifully my project stacks up to others. I also need to remember that my value is not diminished when other people’s projects are bigger, neater and more beautiful. My assignment is to do the very best with what He has prepared for me. He is always with me. He has provided me with all the tools I need, and He is patiently allowing me to learn while He listens, answers and encourages. When my sight is limited, I can trust Him, because He sees the bigger picture. Oh How I love Him.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)
“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
Matthew 25:21 (NLT)
Well said. You only forgot the part where the slightest buzz from our phone can distract us from the mission in a heartbeat