Thursday, April 29, 2010

Not What I Wanted To Tell You

I really wanted to take the time and download some new pictures I have and tell you all about them.
I wanted to show you pictures of our friend Dan coming home from Afghanistan and meeting his newest baby girl for the very first time.
I wanted to show you pictures of our tulips....they are beautiful!
I wanted to tell you some exciting stuff about Life Church.
BUT....
that will all have to wait.
WHY?
Well, because God just reminded me of something very important.
Let me preface this with a little insight into my world of Mommyhood as of late.
Kade seemingly skipped the terrible two's and decided to wait until this past week to really start causing us problems.
Seriously, poor little guy has been punished so much this past week it makes me sad.
But nothing seems to be working. Oh, it will work for about an hour, or sometimes twenty minutes, or sometimes only two minutes. I have been so frustrated. Because I know that he knows better than to do the things he's been doing and act the way he's been acting.
The behavior problems really got started last Sunday night at Life Kids. I went to pick him up after church and found out that he had been quite unruly. Needless to say, I was disappointed. As my mom always said, it is one thing to act up at home for Daddy and Momma but entirely another thing to act up for other people caring for you.
Ever since last Sunday we have just had this vicious cycle of Kade misbehaving. By misbehaving I mean this:
*doing exactly what he is told not to do.
*not doing exactly what he is told to do.
*being mean to his brother.
*being mean to other children.
*yelling at me.
*telling me "NO."
Oh, dear the list could go on, but I better just stop there. I think you can get the picture.

So, I am about at my wit's end and today we have to make a trip to Wal-Mart. My favorite! Ha!
After getting in big trouble last night and promising that today would be a good day, he just couldn't seem to hold it together. It was as if he couldn't control himself and just HAD to do whatever I asked him not to do.
This is not the child that I have lived with for the past 3 years 3 months and 12 days.

Why is it so important to me that Kade obeys us?
It's not just because I'm the Momma and I said so.
It's not just because I know what's best for him....or at least I think I do.
It's not just for my sanity's sake.
It's because I want him to learn how to obey his Heavenly Father.
And I know that starts with him learning to obey his earthly parents.

Then I picked up my Bible this afternoon to do some reading.
Was compelled to read 1 Corinthians 13. The Love Chapter.
In the particular Bible that I chose to read there are little devotions. And opposite the passage that I was reading this devotion title caught my eye - "To Love a Child"
I cried as I read it. God knew just what I needed to hear....doesn't He always?
I want to share it with you. It is a little long but I am thankful that I read it. Maybe you will be too.

To Love A Child

Placed on the chair for a "time out" the weepy two year old wonders why he misbehaves as he whimpers, "I be a good boy." In his heart, he is persevering at being good while we are certain he is mastering being bad. All the while, his defiant heart is crying out, "Don't stop loving me! Don't give up on me!" Who can understand a two year old?

God can. He understands children, and He understands mothers as well. God is aware of the problems pummeling our homes requiring patience and perseverance. That is why His definition of love begins with the word patience and ends with the word perseverance - or "never gives up." God knows our children will exasperate our patience, and He exhorts us to persevere in loving our children through all of the difficult times. We must never give up our efforts to mother, and we must never give up loving our children. They are crying out to us to love them the way God intended, the way God loves us.

In God's definition of love, He places the word always before the word perseveres. we are not given a choice. No matter the trouble, we are to always persevere. Webster defines perseverance as "to continue in some effort, course of action...in spite of difficulty, opposition...be steadfast in purpose; persist." We are to "always" persist and be steadfast in purpose. We are to always love. We are never to give up on ourselves or our children.

God is our example of perfect love. How often we exasperate Him, disappoint Him, and wrong Him, yet He never gives up on us. He never withdraws His love from us. He is patient and always perseveres. We must do the same for our children. Never give up on them. Never stop loving them.
-Elaine W. Miller
(From Splashes of Serenity)

I needed the reminder that if I love my children that means I will be patient and persevere.
Take a look back at 1 Corinthians 13...that's not the only thing love means.
So, I'm off now to practice loving my children.

4 comments:

Carozza Family said...

Amen my friend, Amen! This mom really needed to read this. Thank you.

rachel said...

you an amazing mom!!! thanks for the encouragement...I love that all of us mommies get to do this together!!! hope today's trip to wal-mart goes well!!!!

Granddaddy and C.G. said...

I LOVE YOU!!! Momma

patti said...

As Kade would say I'm not a fan of tough weeks with toddlers. But I am a fan of God teaching us something through it all. Thanks for sharing. I needed it too.

you are one awesome momma!! boy moms are the best!!