Toy Trains Distraction

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement
Toy Trains Distraction

We were all adults standing around the toy train making circles on the dining table. If you listened, you would have thought we were a bunch of kids from the exclamations of delight we made while watching the toy “Polar Express Train”. The engine whistled, a voice announced the train’s destination; and, wonder of wonders, the smoke that issued from the miniature smoke stack emerged in a row of perfect smoke circles. With big grins on our faces, we were transported back to our childhoods and the wonder of pretend and make believe.

Ah, would we could keep our childhood innocence in these days of real live disasters, disappointments and genuine heartaches. Setting up a toy train may allow us to forget the mess our world is in for a short time, but toy train whistles and small smoke rings can’t block out the real and immense issues that bombard us every day. Our childhood memories can bring comfort to our wounds, but can’t change our broken world. Escaping into our memories doesn’t provide solutions for the problems of our world, nor solve corruption, anger and injustice here and now. Yet, we don’t have to wail and bemoan, nor shout and destroy.

The Bible tells us God hears our thoughts even if we never allow them to escape our mouths in the form of words. Peace of mind and emotion comes if, instead of words born from a torrent of emotions, we take our cares, our heartaches to God in prayer. We can trust that He hears and cares about what troubles us. What is more amazing is God, the creator and Master of the universe, has the power to set in motion genuine answers. When His people unite their hearts to petition God for help with our troubles, in his timing, He begins to set in motion the answers. He knows much better than we what will genuinely bring blessing to each person. Pray and expect God to act for His people. We were reminded by the fun a group of adults gained from a toy train that God is near. He cares and provides those fun moments. He understands us and enjoys bringing us pleasant times. He also loves righting wrongs, but His timing is not ours. We leave that to His wisdom.