What My Children Teach Me About God

I think we've entered a stage with Lainey and Sarah Grace where they feel they must constantly be arguing about something. They really do play quite well together most of the time, but recently, they've only been interested in arguing. Today in the car as we drove to Bellingham, we heard a funny conversation between the two of them. Sarah Grace provided the following instructions to Lainey, "You say, 'Yes we are' and I'll say, 'No we're not'." Lon looked at me and said, "Great, Sarah Grace is trying to organize an argument." I guess they'd run out of natural things to argue about! As I sat in the car with the girls while waiting on Lon to complete an errand, I heard Lainey say, "I don't like anything," to which Sarah Grace say (quite indignantly) "You have to like something. Don't you like toys?" As I was trying to negotiate the hostile takeover of a doll this morning and provide some discipline to one who needed it, I thought, "Why must everything be a power struggle? Why can't they just accept that I know what I'm talking about and have their best interest at heart?" I immediately was convicted and thought, "Isn't that how we are with God? He shows us the best way and we (like my children) say, ' I'll do it my way. I'll do it when I'm ready. I don't want to do what You say.'" I do believe that the Lord give us these little people to teach us more about our relationship with Him. It's hard work, but I hope I'm learning what I need to and passing it on so these precious little folks can grow up to be wise, God-fearing, Christ-loving, teens, adults, parents,spouses, and friends. My shoulders feel heavy with that burden; I am grateful not to have to rely on my own strength!