Fun Carts

My kids LOVE “fun carts.” Fun carts are those horrible, awful, terrible, germ encompassed clearly-not-invented-by-a-parent-who-ever-had-to-push-one shopping carts with steering wheels. They beg for us to get one and many times they are just not available or are in such disrepair… looking like a broken down amusement park ride that you might see in a scrap metal yard. Whatever state we find them in they are the most fun and exciting thing to my kids and even though I know as I am putting them in there that there will be scrapping between them over someone touching the other’s steering wheel. I also know that I will  most definitely take out some poor unsuspecting person in another aisle merely trying to drive the thing (and because the cart extends to about 8ft in front of you it is almost a guarantee to hit someone or something).

The one thing that I have noticed though that makes these carts different from all others is control. I think that many times my kids think they are having some control over where the cart goes. Hayden is old enough to where he has pretended that he is driving a police car racing to help someone in need and I may or may not have helped by pushing it really fast (in open areas so as not to wipe out that family of 6 that opted out of the fun cart experience)and making siren noises. Emerie just loves to drive. My sweet in-charge, I AM the boss baby girl loves to drive and rarely takes her hands off the wheel except to give her brother a hug or tries to reach for something or decides to try to stand or…well you get the idea.

One thing is true for both of them…control. They both like to feel like they are in control and driving the fire engine cart. I got to thinking about that this morning. Don’t we all like to drive/be in control? Even the most timid of us like to be in control of something or everything. How about this...have you ever noticed that there is only one steering wheel in a car? Just as there is typically one pastor who is ultimately responsible for leading a church, there is one steering wheel in a car. Just imagine if we had more than one in a non-drivers ed type of car. We would be driving in circles!

But beyond that I was thinking about that crazy fun cart and how I am just like my kids in that cart or at least I should be!  I want to drive or at least think that I am and have some control over where I am going and what I am doing but the reality is….I am in the cart (or at least I need to be). When my kids are in the cart, they are safe, I am able to keep them under my care and protect them from many foes that lie within your fill- in- the- blank- big box store. I am able to decide where they need to go and whether or not this trip includes a trip past the bakery department for their free cookie. They can’t get out without my help. They often can’t reach for things that they may want to hold or inspect from the shelves unless I allow it.

Another benefit of being in the cart is the guidance and direction that comes from it. My kids don’t have to think about where the cart is going; they can just enjoy the ride. I don’t think that either of them has any idea that one should be required to have a CDL endorsement on their license in order to drive one. They just simply…ready for this? They trust the driver! WOW!

Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not always so pleasant especially for Emerie who would rather be out exploring or Hayden who would much rather be helping me by grabbing things from the shelves. How often do we fuss to get out of the cart or get out of the cart only to realize that we were safer inside? That we simply need to just trust the “driver, “and our needs will be met and we will be safe. I admit it is very hard at times to stay inside of the cart and not get out to go after what I think I need. Sometimes I even get mad at the cart and the condition of it and think that there must be a better one out there somewhere and yet there isn’t.

I don’t know that I will ever love the literal “fun carts” like my kids do, but you know what? I LOVE the joy and excitement that I get the privilege, as their mom, to witness. It ALMOST makes it worth it to scour the parking lot and entry ways to find one and wipe it down with half a bottle of hand sanitizer and a package of baby wipes. Remember…stay in the cart, sit down, leave your seatbelt on but most importantly….trust the driver because He loves you with an almighty love!