When Children Give You the Lesson

“Please just trust me and obey!” Oh how many times have I heard myself sound like a broken record repeating this sentence. Just wishing and hoping, maybe just maybe, this time will be the time it clicks!

There are a few instances that I can remember distinctly having said this and then being disappointed that the child or children I was keeping just couldn’t obey a simple task. One sticks with me the most, honestly because God hit me over the head good with a life lesson. But first, the story.

It’s been a few years now, but I remember that I had asked this child to sit at the table and finish eating lunch. I needed to step away for a minute, don’t remember why, but I told them, “Miss Anna will be right back. You can even watch where I am going and not lose sight of me!” The moment I stepped away, I could feel that there was a little bum sliding out of a chair. I said, “stay seated, please!” (can’t trick me 😂) I walked a little further, and now there were tiny footsteps behind me. I said, “ok, before I turn around, please go back to your seat!” I gave it a few seconds, no pitter patters. So I turned around and the child came and hugged my leg. Heart melt and frustrated that I was going to have to address disobedience. We walked back to the table, and sat back down, and we talked about what just happened. How disobedience is not okay and that it breaks others hearts and can be dangerous sometimes. I explained my heart was broken and it made me want to cry. This child really understood what had happened and that I was not disappointed in them but in their behavior.

And then, BAM! I am hit with reality. I don’t know if you have ever been hit with a realization that feels like you been knock off your feet, but I had to sit for a few minutes to recover and comprehend this one. If I am so disappointed in this child’s behavior and choice, how does my disobedience make my Heavenly Father feel? I ask for guidance but I don’t stick around long enough to allow him time to show me or answer. Or I ignore his guiding me completely. I do the exact same thing, not only as a daughter, sister, niece, cousin, aunt, student, citizen, friend, etc, but I disobey the one who holds it all in his wonderfully perfect hands!

When I was taking care of children, and even now when I am around children, and they tend to ask “why do we have to obey?” First, they need to obey and then, I ask them to think about a few things: 1. Is it possible that the person who is asking you has more experience and wisdom to know how to lead and guide you? (of course this is when I know for sure the “authority figure” is a safe adult) 2. Could they be protecting you from something that could be dangerous? Which I define for them as 3 things: You could get hurt, you could get taken and we never see you again, or you could die (you have to be blunt sometimes).

The same is true of my obedience and disobedience with God. I know he sees all things, hears all things, knows all things, created all things. His plan for me has never changed and never will and has been in the works since before I put my two feet on this earth! He has been so incredibly faithful, why would I choose to ignore Him for one millisecond?

Obedience doesn’t make things easy nor does it make things pretty. Unless you are being asked to clean your room or wash dishes, then I guess that makes things pretty. At the core of obedience is you heart and its desires. Does it desire abundant life or does it desire momentary gratification? Does it desire a pace in sync with the will of God or the pace of a franticly busy world? Does it desire absolute truth or does it desire 100% agreement with your opinions? Is your heart willing to break, work on the hard places, uproot the assumptions, opinions, and lies? Is your heart willing to be held and reshaped by a God who has seen all, knows all, hears all, created all of you?

Lesson Learned: Obedience is tough stuff. Disobedience hurts you and others, whether today or years down the road. Obedience to earthly authority takes discernment. Obeying God is an absolute yes. But we can only know how to obey if we give him our time, our mind, our hearts, our bodies. We have to listen. We may have to wait. But there is no rushing. Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes no, sometimes wait, sometimes silence- all are answers! Read His word, pray, ask for prayer, and He is faithful to show and guide. Believe me, I am a living, breathing testimony. Everyday that I up and out of bed, I will be singing, I AM A CHILD OF GOD!

Life Book of the Week: Don’t Forget to Remember, by Ellie Holcomb

Picture today: Not sure what I was feeling emotionally when this picture was taken, but seems like a good picture for a “slow down and just be” post 😊