So anyway, yesterday as I was sitting down to write, I sat back for a few minutes to enjoy the serene- which was nap time in my house. I drank from my cup of tea and breathed in the silence. Shepherd had settled peacefully into rest and Jacob was fast asleep... or so I thought.
About 20 minutes had elapsed before I got up to get a book. As I entered my room, I noticed a very familiar aroma calling me from my bathroom. I slowly turned the corner into my bathroom (eyes wide open, and music from Psycho playing in my head), only to find Jacob COVERED in my Mary Kay Emollient Cream. That was the very distinct smell that had called me in there. And then I noticed what all Jacob had done with this cream. He painted me a picture in my bathtub, in the sink, on my favorite white shirt of his(the cream is pink... and petroleum), and finally, as I turned one more corner, I saw the toilet... filled with the final drippings from my nearly new tube of Mary Kay Emollient Cream.
Meet Jacob. The same little turkey who colored all over the wall and floor in our old house.. . with a permanent marker. the same turkey who thinks that "no" is an opportunity to negotiate.
Anyway, every day at our house, nap time is the same. We don't typically stray from this routine because it has been working so well, for so long. The scene normally looks like this: I lay Jacob down, I kiss and hug him, and he rolls over and lays there until he falls asleep. It's not difficult or even anything extraordinary. It's just the way nap time is... until yesterday.
So then, a few moments ago, as I was cleaning the kitchen, I caught the (almost tattling) gaze of my sweet 13 month old, cotton-topped little Shepherd and quickly realized it had been at least three minutes since I'd heard Jacob playing with his toys on the living room floor. So, once again, I made the trek in to my bathroom- where I smelled another distinctive smell. This time it was starch. The entire can of spray starch has now been emptied on to my bathroom floor and Jacob? He's sitting in time out, watching me write. I disciplined him and gave him books to read for a little while. In my frustration, I heard myself say this to him: "Jacob! Why can't you just obey?"
The moral? 1- Child locks on the bedroom doors are priceless. And 2- I wonder how many times I've known what God expected of me and gone ahead with my own plans. How many times have I walked in disobedience, expecting grace and forgiveness, forgetting about the consequences that lay ahead? My choices may have been forgiven, but they still have consequences.
In the same way that I will always forgive and always love Jacob- no matter what he says or does, no matter how many bottles of face cream or starch he empties- no matter how far away from me he runs, I know that God will always forgive me, always love me, and always be there for me to run to. But even so, as I was disciplining Jacob, I realized that yes, my plan for Jacob to obey is the best possible plan for him. I know what is best for him right now because I am his mother and can see things that he cannot see at his young age. Likewise, our Heavenly father sees the bigger picture in our lives and knows what is best for us right now.
If I tell him to lay down and rest and he does not, it won't kill him, but it definitely makes things more difficult on him (and the rest of the family) later in the evening. And when God tells me to wait on Him and I choose not to, it likely will not kill me, but it could definitely make things harder on me or my family in the long run. Knowing this, I wondered how many times God looked at me and thought "Why can't you just obey? Just obey and trust that I know, ultimately, what is best for you. Just... obey."
Just a thought to ponder as you finish your morning cup of Joe. I have more thoughts on this but I'm off to play with the little man... Jacob. Because he's served his time in time out and now it's mommy time!
No longer I,
The Real Life Mom
1 comment:
I have never thought of it that way, but so true. That is so amazing! I am just in awe of this new given perspective! Part of me is like WOW and the other part is " thanks a lot Christi, I liked my blinders!"
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