Twelve Words

Once again, The Engineer is rocking my world. He has a gentleness about him that unravels me. And He is wise.

I'd told the children for the umpteenth time to, "clean up." Specifically, I told one child to put their shoes away. Said child's shoes ended up in the general direction of "put away," but they were certainly not "put away."

The Engineer and I walked in the room and I sighed audibly and began complaining. First about the shoes and then the general messes these kids make and "why won't they just obey and clean up?" I was quickly running down the "woe is me" path. Rather than join or affirm my martyr syndrome, he lovingly looked at me and said, "We have children. There are going to be shoes on the floor."

Of course, there was an obedience issue to be dealt with, but those two sentences, those twelve words, have hugely challenged me. He is right. We have children and they live here and there will be shoes on the floor. And books on the sofa. And piles of dirty clothes. Cabinet doors will be left open. Water dripping. Toilets unflushed. Concoctions will be made. Balls will get stuck in bushes and footballs will land on the roof. Furniture and blankets will become makeshift tents and dolls will be left out...how else do you play, "orphanage?" Diapers will stink and dishes will be dirtied. Wet towels will be left on the floor. All faster than I can keep up. And they are young. And this is where they learn and begin to shape their life habits. And my attitude has a tremendous impact on the direction and temperament of these little people in our home. They are still children. "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child." 

Why oh why oh why do I often expect them to act differently? These years are but a season. Sister is at the nine year mark. That's half of eighteen. It is flying by! These years in our home are a time to train and direct in establishing habits of both heart and body. And so I am taking a deep breath and reminding myself that training takes time and no habit is made overnight. It is good and right to walk with them and encourage them as we teach them. It's sowing and reaping. We always reap later and greater.

And so I am asking God to change my heart and attitude in this regard. I don't want to sow seeds of frustration and discontentment. Again, The Engineer humbles me in the most precious of ways. I am so thankful for that man. 

And because of Christ's work on the cross and because He is faithful to finish that which He began, I have hope. Change in my hard heart is possible. {smile}