Listen to What I Say

My sweet Adelaide will be three in a few months.  On at least a weekly basis, Colin and I look at each other while she's doing something or telling a story and ask each other "when did she get so big?"  She's growing like a weed out of every pair of pants and shoes and I can see her little personality expanding as well.  She is all about doing things on her own, defining her own personhood, becoming a girl who will soon have her own likes and opinions and perspectives.  As all of this development happens, the tug-o-war of obedience has begun as well.  I believe that one of the hardest jobs with this phase of mommyhood is letting her be herself and express her opinions, but also teach her how to obey me when I ask her to do things (and being careful myself not to just ask things for my own convenience all the time).  One of the things we've been working on specifically this week is for her to acknowledge me when I ask her to do something.  I have found that she is MUCH more likely to obey if she first says "yes ma'am" or "okay" or "I'm trying."  Without having the communication between us, she tends to stay focused on whatever she was doing before and forget the generally simple request I have made to her.

So, here's where this moves beyond basic parenting 101.  I was in the car today asking her to respond to something I had said with a simple "yes ma'am" when I felt that familiar tug on my heart and God gently whispered into my mind "How often do you obey me like this, Christina? How often do you acknowledge what I've told you to do with a simple 'Yes, sir' and the trust that goes along to show that you believe I know best for you?"

O.U.C.H.  That one made me cringe.

I can tell you about a million things I've been thinking about, worrying about, procrastinating on.  Honestly, several of these things are tasks I believe God clearly put on my heart to do- tithe a little extra to something this month, invite someone else to coffee, have a little extra grace for another person.  But because of the desire for security and control over my own timing and schedule and plans, I have failed to listen well in some of these areas.  Like my precious toddler, who can annoy me to no end with her tantrums and belief that what she is doing is best, I forget that my loving father knows exactly what will lead me down the perfect path for me, and He wants to me act in trust TODAY, in the moment I hear Him, that what He asks of me will be more fulfilling than where I think I'm headed in my own will.  

Second Timothy 2:14-15 says this: "Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."

I so desperately want to be someone who "rightly handles the word of truth." I want to be a woman that reads the Word of God and BELIEVES what it says. I want that belief to change how I think and how I act and how I parent and how I LOVE. I want to feel those stirrings in my heart and OBEY, crying out "Yes, sir!" with absolute trust and the joy of pleasing my parent.

Lord, let these words be my prayer.  Let these desires, which you have put in my heart drive out the sinful junk that still creeps in and tells me my ways and my security plans are better.  Remind me over and over that Your ways are higher and sweeter and better forever and ever.  I pray that I would obey You in all my ways and that I would not forget what it feels like and sounds like to hear You whispering truth into my soul.  Amen.