The Need To Regroup

It was a gorgeous spring day.
The temperatures were more like early summer than early March.
My youngest daughter and I decided we would spend the day at one of our favorite places.
It is a place with gardens and a beautiful conservatory.

Their orchids were in bloom.
We found it hard to decide where to look first.
Each orchid was more beautiful than the one before.
We walked the garden paths and breathed deep the smell of spring.

In the center of the conservatory, the grass was being cut.
The sound of the push mower seemed to take everyone by surprise.
Not too long ago we heard the sound of snow plows on our street.
The change of seasons is always a joy to me.

My daughter and I talked as we walked along.
We noticed all the new life that was just beginning to peek through the ground.
The winter landscape had a tinge of green.
In a short time, the gardens will be ablaze in color.

In a little while, the many fountains will have water bursting forth.
We saw a tiny waterfall that had been silent during the winter months.
We heard the birds that will undoubtedly build their nest in some of the trees.
We saw so many people who came to the gardens for the same reason.

It was a day when you are glad to be alive.
It was a day when all of your senses are awakened.
It was a day when all you could do is praise God for His magnificent creation.
It was a glorious day.

As we walked near the water garden, we noticed how still it seemed.
Soon the water will leap from one fountain to the next in a magical dance.
The fountains were quiet except for the workers who prepare the water garden for display.
Mothers and children were near the water’s edge watching the fish that were swimming about.

A few mothers laid a blanket on the lawn so their children could run around as children do.
It was a nice respite, a time to have a small snack and a bit of juice or water.
The laughter of children sounded just like a symphony.
The smiles on their faces, as they skipped across the grass, was such a joyful sight.

Then we saw them.
Two mothers, each pushing baby strollers, were walking towards us.
Behind one of the mothers was a boy about four-years-old.
He was walking on his knees with the saddest look on his face.

The two mothers smiled at us.
One mother turned back to the little boy who was probably her son.
How are you doing? She asked him, giving me a look that only another mother understands.
He continued to walk on his knees looking like he was too tired to take another step.

He grimaced and spoke in the tone of little boy exhaustion.
My daughter and I looked at each other trying not to laugh at his Academy Award performance.
He was tired and didn’t seem to want to walk any further.
The next best thing he could think of to do was fall to his knees.

He reached the stroller, which was transporting either a brother or sister.
He flung himself on the footrest of the stroller with finesse.
I’m calm now, he said to his mother.
I’m much better now, he added as he climbed into the double stroller.

As we walked on, I listened as his mother expertly handled the situation.
She affirmed his tiredness, she understood his frustration, and she praised his calmness.
How I wanted to tell her what a good job she was doing with her son.
She did not play into his hands but she allowed him the space to get himself together.

Even a four-year-old gets exhausted.
Even a preschooler needs to be calm.
Even a child has limits to his endurance.
Even I could relate.

I almost envied the little boy.
How I wish I could take a self-imposed time out until I got myself together.
How I wish I could announce, I’m calm now.
How I wish I wasn’t always a grown up.

When my oldest daughter was about six-years-old, she did a similar thing.
She would be outside playing or riding her bike with the other children on the street.
All at once, she would be at the door.
I will never forget the day she came inside.

I had looked out the window just minutes before as she rode her bike down the driveway.
She came inside and sat on the sofa with her feet up.
I have to regroup, she said.
I tried so hard not to laugh, since I could not imagine where she ever heard that term.

It became our code word of sorts.
Regroup was the term for taking a break, having a snack, or just being by herself for a while.
She is her mother’s daughter.
In fact, all of my children have a little bit of that need to regroup in them.

The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
(Mark 6:30,31)

Jesus encouraged His apostles to regroup.
Jesus encouraged His apostles to come with Him to a quiet place.
Jesus encouraged His apostles to get some rest.
Jesus encouraged His apostles to take time to be still.

We continue to go on and on until we are exhausted.
We continue to move forward when all we really want to do is stop and rest for a while.
There is nothing wrong with taking time to regroup.
There is nothing unusual about getting quiet enough so that we can be still.

He was tired and didn’t seem to want to walk any further.
The next best thing he could think of to do was fall to his knees.
We could learn from that little boy.
We all have days like that; days when the only position that makes any sense is on our knees.

Regroup with Jesus.
Take the time to be still.
Spend some quiet moments with Him.
I’m calm now; I’m better now.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.