Traversing the Monkey Bars

 

I can’t, doesn’t exist.

No matter what it is you are doing; making a cup of tea, hanging up washing, fixing the gate etc, etc, Archie, my grandson wants to help or have a go.  As with all children, he likes to copy what others are doing including his older cousins. 

During a rent visit to the park to see his cousins, he watched them try to attempt to get across the monkey bars. Archie immediately said to his daddy “Archie do it”. His daddy was very obliging in helping him cross from one side to the other. The next time Archie wasn’t satisfied with daddy helping him, Archie wanted to do it himself. He could be heard saying “Archie do it, Archie do it”. Archie’s arms weren’t big enough to stretch from one bar to the next but he had a very good try, with daddy helping him of course. Archie wanted daddy to let go. His daddy did let go and poised himself ready to catch Archie, but Archie clung to the monkey bar like a limpet. You can see the delight on his face as he was able to copy his older cousins.

Archie wanted daddy to let go. His daddy did let go and poised himself ready to catch Archie, but Archie clung to the monkey bar like a limpet. You can see the delight on his face as he was able to copy his older cousins.

Archie has a real spirit of adventure and he is quite fearless. Telling him he can't do something is often met with the reply "Archie do it, Archie big boy now." Can't is not an option in Archie's eyes and doesn't seem to exist in his vocabulary. 

Archie climbed to the top of this spiral pole without any help!

As a child growing up I don’t think I had the same spirit of adventure that Archie has and I was more likely to say I can’t do it. One day in Sunday school I can remember telling my Sunday school teacher “I can’t do that". I don’t remember what it was I supposed to be doing do but I can still remember her reply  “Do you know how to spell can’t? “Yes,” I said, C A N T, “no,” she said “T R Y”, you know God loves a trier. It has stuck with me ever since. I have said it to various children and adults over the years.

God does indeed love a trier but, He also loves us for just who we are.