CONVICTION AND CLARIFICATION

I feel the need to clarify a few things where my sweet baby Reid is concerned. This may be all over the place so I apologize in advance for that. My thoughts are everywhere.

First, good Friday morning! And it has been a good Friday morning around here. Things went alarmingly smooth on the home front this am. So smooth in fact we were ready and in the car EARLY. Yep, early. Hope you were sitting down, mom. :) When I got in the car and looked at the clock and realized we were about 6 minutes ahead of our usual schedule (yes, I said 6, I'm anal like that), panic set in for a minute. I thought, "Surely I forgot to get dressed or something."

Nope. I was fully dressed. It was just a smooth, easier-than-usual morning. Thank you, Jesus!

I joked in my last post about being a bit dismissive with Reid but the truth is, I tend to be that way with him probably more than I should. You see, Reid is a whiner. Big time. Not only does he whine but he is very strong-willed and very high-maintenance. I'm not speaking negatively of him when I say that, I'm speaking truthfully (which I think more people should do in this blogosphere but I won't get into all that).

As one of my Christmas presents last year my mom gave me a subscription to Journey which is wonderful daily devotion for women. I cannot tell you the many ways the Lord has spoken to me through Journey or used it as a tool in some way, especially as it pertains to me as a parent. It's remarkable. Well this week has been "one of those weeks" with Reid. He's tried my patience about as much as it can be tried. He's whined and cried more times than I could possibly count over the most trivial issues (yes, I'm aware he had a fractured tooth, I took that into consideration). :) He and Mac have fought over things such as, "He's looking at me."

Really? He's looking at me?

So the other day while in the carpool line to pick up Grant (because I'm obviously glutton for punishment and choose to sit in line for an hour so the Professor won't have to wait long) I was almost to my breaking point. So as not to get to said breaking point, I told the boys I needed a time-out. Obviously I haven't said that too many times because they stopped in their tracks.

Mac said, "Wha? HUH? YOU need a time-out?"

Yes, Mac, Mommy needs a time-out.

So I buckled them in their seats, turned on a DVD and started flipping back through Journey for the month of August - because I left September's in the Camry. There's a reason for that.

I came across one entitled, "Tough Assignments." I remembered reading that one but obviously I had a donut or something that day because I was in a really good mood and didn't think it much pertained to me at the time. It was about a mom with a 3-year-old "high-spirited" little boy.

WOW.

I read on...

While we've all heard that parenting isn't for cowards, some of us have to be braver and more fortified than others. Children come with myriad dispositions and the strong-willed child will push any mother to her limits. But while God may allow your child to stretch you, He will not leave you without resources.

Proverbs 19:18 encourages, "Discipline your son while there is hope." The parent of the strong-willed child needs to be aware that every parenting moment counts, and to communicate to your child who is in charge to set the tone for the remaining childrearing years. If you are parenting a high-spirited child, pray for wisdom, grace, and fortitude, and commit to consistency. Remember, God has chosen you to train up this child and He doesn't make mistakes. 

That last sentence warmed my heart. It also helped me to remember that for every time Reid whines, he also comes up to me out of the blue and says, "I wuv u mama."

That for every, "He looked at me," there's a , "Can I help you mama."

That for those nights where I feel like if I've told them once to go to bed I've told them a thousand times, he'll come out of his room one more time to say, "You forgot to give me a kiss and hug," and run to me, smiling that sweet smile all the way, to give me one more kiss and hug knowing we've done that two or three times already.

If I just allow myself a little time-out, the dust clears and I see that HIS mercy is rich and HIS grace sufficient. While cleaning the kitchen I came across this perfect little handprint on my dishwasher. I couldn't bring myself to wipe it off. :)

Thank you, Jesus, for my four perfect-for-me children.