The Trouble with Bubbles

My two-year-old granddaughter Emerald is in love with bubbles. Her fascination with them is her longest-running interest by far, and she never tires of our blowing them for her.

Every time she arrives at my house, without fail her first words are, “Oska bubbles? Oska bubbles?” We still aren’t sure what “oska” means, but when I pull the bubble-stuff from atop the ‘fridge, she begins jumping up and down and waving her arms with joy.

Bubble babyOften she’ll run into a cloud of bubbles with an open mouth, getting bubble-soap on her tongue. “Tasty!” she’ll say, doing it again and again. (Surely she doesn’t know the definition of “tasty.”)

Emerald likes to sit on the floor and let the bubbles float down to her, marveling when they pop in her lap. Or she’ll just poke them with her finger and shout, “Pop! Pop! Pop!”

She’s chased enough bubbles to have seen that each one includes a rainbow of colors, sometimes naming the ones she sees. She’s also learned to identify two bubbles stuck together. “Double bubble! Double bubble!”

Emerald faithfully points out bubbles she sees in unusual places, too, like in freshly poured coffee or milk, or in the wash machine, or even in the water coming from the kitchen faucet.

The trouble with bubbles, though, is how temporary they are. As they form and then drift along, they mesmerize us with their beauty, but with the slightest touch of a toddler’s finger, they’re gone.

Scripture talks about our lives being transient much like bubbles are. God doesn’t use the bubble analogy but does compare a life span to “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” In another place he notes we have “but a momentary” existence, and also says we “fade like leaves.” Each of us is “but a breath,” he says.*

Believing what God is trying to tell us in these word pictures should put us in right relationship with him, the Lord of eternity. He also hopes we’ll take comfort in remembering that when our struggles increase and life gets hard, it’s all short-lived compared to the joyful bliss he has in store for us.

BubblesHe may not say it directly, but when we look back on our earthly troubles, we’ll probably see them much like Emerald sees bubbles: Pop! Pop! Pop!

 

“O Lord…. Let me know how fleeting I am!” (Psalm 39:4)

*(James 4:14, Psalm 39:5 & 11, Isaiah 64:6)

4 thoughts on “The Trouble with Bubbles

  1. So adorable, how much fun is that! You are very blessed, I miss my baby girls, they are teenagers now 🙂 Enjoy this wonderful special time. Take Care!

  2. Emerald is so delightful and so precious! What fun it is to see her and hear about her! Children are surely a gift from above. You have such a wonderful family centered on God. I do so enjoy reading the entries and seeing the pictures that go with them every week night. When my days are difficult you inspire me to go on.
    Mary remains in my prayers every night. I am so happy that she has had these past weeks of good times with her loved ones. She is certainly a excellent role model for us when we face tough events in our own lives. Thank you so much for your wonderful words for all of us who read your blog!

  3. One of the greatest pleasures I found, in being a grandparent, was watching the babies/toddlers discover ‘life’! First, themselves, so funny…endless questions, then little things like bubbles! What a treasure you’ve been blessed with in her, to have her close by to – not only be instrumental in her learning process, but see her ‘discover life’.! they grow up so quickly!
    So, so cute!