Never Thought A "Paci" Would Teach Me So Much

My niece's paci "broke" this week. Sara Kate (affectionately known as Squish) is two and therefore has teeth :) So her beloved, faithful paci got a hole in it after much chewing. This may not seem like a big deal but this two year old (who is for the most part sweet showing her attitude on occassion) became A WHOLE NOTHER CHILD. It was like she was so disappointed and devastated that her paci had "let her down" that she became a different person. She gave up on her "entourage" (blankie, puppy, and monkey) who she often carries everywhere and sleeps with. This also effected her demeanor during the day as I know she was "testing" to my sister the past few days because of her joyous A.T.T.I.T.U.D.E (complete sarcasm). She even refused any new paci that was offered.
Last night as I was trying to get her to lay down she was whinning and I offered her a BRAND new paci (the exact same as her old one) and told her that CaCa had "fixed" her paci. Squish looked up at me and said wimpering, "No, it's bwoke."
Today I was thinking about that. Sweet Squish had been let down and her paci disappointed her. It was a tough time for her (everyone in the house can testify to this!), and she didn't trust that when I offered her a new paci that it was in fact "fixed" and given the age of her old paci, probably better than the other. It made me think about how we (yes adults) are like that. Things, people, the economy, life lets us down; we go through hard times; we have to face hard things, and we have a choice as to how we handle it. The way we handle the hardships and let downs also bring us to the place of how we handle our Father's good gifts. I'm not talking about material gifts, but the things He has planned that we don't see coming. Things that may not mean the same without the hardships and let downs. Depending on our response to the hardships and let downs could determine whether we trust whether the "paci" we're being offered later on is reliable and good. If we hold on to the hard times, kicking and screaming at how disappointed we are, we may "see" those hardships instead of the BRAND new opportunities that come before us and not trust that they are in fact good.

Today was a hard day for me... A "bwoke" day if you will. You see today my brother left for college, AND my sister and the girls went back home. I won't see them again before I leave.

I didn't want to cry. I honestly wanted to act like I would see them again soon, but the reality is that Amber is a bit more realistic than I am. When we said "goodbye" her tears started flowing, and then came mine. It was very hard to say "goodbye". Amber and I are close (probably closer than many can claim) and that's not bragging, but rather said in a thankful manner because Amber and I have a great relationship as sisters in the Lord.
So as they left today and the thought of Squish and her paci came to mind I thought about how even though there's a "broke"-ness to this, I know my Father's offering something that is unfamiliar and that I don't know all the details to, BUT I have to trust that it is good. I can be sad about leaving my family (there's nothing wrong with that at all. In fact I'm glad I have a family to be sad about leaving), but I don't need to let this hard time leave me disappointed and devastated. Rather, I need to trust that as hard as saying "goodbye" is (and there's some harder one's to come), my Father has never let me down or disappointed me.
So the "broke" days will come (in many different forms), but the question is will you, will I, hold on to those hard times (like a two year old begrudging her unfaithful paci :) ) and let them effect what God offers to us in the future? or will you trust that what God is offering is good?