I watched a sitcom recently where a married couple lamented that after twenty years, they had no secrets left anymore. They were struggling with the idea that they knew each other so well that there was no more mystery, nothing new to learn. Sometimes I feel that way about God. While I would never say that I know everything about the Bible, there are parts of the Bible I think I know so well that there is no mystery left.
In Sunday school, we’ve been studying Joseph. I was scheduled to teach about his time in Potiphar’s house and prison. These are stories I know. I’ve been hearing them since childhood. I planned the lesson without reading the associated passages in Genesis. I wrote a small skit for the children and downloaded a craft. Everything was ready.
Saturday night I started to feel like a cheater. How could I teach something I hadn’t read? I don’t need to read it, I reasoned. What kind of example is that for the children? They won’t know I haven’t done it, I thought. But I couldn’t erase the feeling that it was somehow wrong not to do all of the work.
So I turned to Genesis 39 and began to read. I’ve gone through many philosophies about Joseph’s life. I’ve thought that the tragic events just happened and God was able to redeem them in the end for His good purpose. I’ve thought that Joseph was arrogant in his youth and God needed to humble him before he could be entrusted with such a high position.
When I read it this time, I saw something I never considered before. Genesis 39:6 says “He [Potiphar] left all that he owned under Joseph’s authority; he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.” Now Potiphar was a high ranking official in Egypt, he didn’t have a regular house. He owned slaves and verse 5 tells us that he also had fields. Joseph was in charge of managing people and resources for an estate. Sounds like an excellent training ground for someone who will one day run a country and manage its resources during times of plenty and famine.
This correlation continues during Joseph’s wrongful imprisonment. Genesis 39:22 and 23a say “The warden put all the prisoners who were in prison under Joseph’s authority, and he was responsible for everything that was done there. The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority.” Once again Joseph was in a position of leadership and management.
I was rocked. I’ve often said that everything works for God’s purpose, but I felt like His purpose was an abstract thing. It seems like we suffer hardship for some reason God understands, but we may never comprehend. While I have trust in Him, the concept made me feel adrift. After reading this passage, I looked at it in a whole new way. God was training Joseph to be the leader Egypt would need in the future. On-the-job-training is not an abstract thing, it’s very tangible.
I reexamined my own time of hardship. For once, I looked at it as more than something I had to live through. I looked at it as a time of training, for what? I don’t know, but I’m hopeful God’s purpose will become evident in due time.Now these revelations didn’t affect my Sunday school lesson, but they did affect me. God reminded me that there is always something new to learn in His word; even in the stories we’ve known since childhood.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Poof!
I've been having an interesting phenomenon at Wednesday night kids church- all boys. Ten to be exact- Ten first through fifth grade boys. The dynamic of this kind of class is different than a mixed gender group. For example, they generally don’t want to do a craft or sit for that matter.
One night, I was teaching them about Philip ministering to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). As I read the story, I pointed out the Philip immediately obeyed God. That he did not argue or ask why he had to do the things God asked. I showed that through his obedience a man and possibly a nation were saved. Then I got to the part where Philip was translated. I'm talking to boys, mind you. I explain that Philip was there and then poof he was gone. The boys are enraptured. I tell them that Bible is way better than any sci-fi, because all of the cool stuff in it is true.
They began acting out the poofing, as it became known, and excitedly talking about what had happened to Philip. All of the lessons in the story were lost. All they wanted to know about was the poof. Inevitably, one boy asked if it would happen to him. All of the others chimed in wanting to know if this miracle could happen in their lives. I reminded them that Philip was only in the position to poof because he had obeyed God in the beginning. This fell on deaf ears.
We are no different than these young boys. We walk through our Christian lives hoping for one cool, goosbumpy feeling after another. Some even hop church to church seeking those experiences. Jesus said that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign. When we are seeking the miraculous, we are seeking what God can do for us instead of seeking God himself.
I have seen many people's faith derailed when they sought God's hand instead of God. "I don't believe in God anymore because I was praying for my mom to be healed and He didn't do it." God said that He is jealous. He doesn't want our attention divided from Him, even if it's by His own works. God wants us to seek Him. When we do so as Philip did, the miracles naturally follow.
I tried and will continue to try to steer my class to seek God and I pray that you will also turn your thoughts to Him this week.
One night, I was teaching them about Philip ministering to the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-39). As I read the story, I pointed out the Philip immediately obeyed God. That he did not argue or ask why he had to do the things God asked. I showed that through his obedience a man and possibly a nation were saved. Then I got to the part where Philip was translated. I'm talking to boys, mind you. I explain that Philip was there and then poof he was gone. The boys are enraptured. I tell them that Bible is way better than any sci-fi, because all of the cool stuff in it is true.
They began acting out the poofing, as it became known, and excitedly talking about what had happened to Philip. All of the lessons in the story were lost. All they wanted to know about was the poof. Inevitably, one boy asked if it would happen to him. All of the others chimed in wanting to know if this miracle could happen in their lives. I reminded them that Philip was only in the position to poof because he had obeyed God in the beginning. This fell on deaf ears.
We are no different than these young boys. We walk through our Christian lives hoping for one cool, goosbumpy feeling after another. Some even hop church to church seeking those experiences. Jesus said that a wicked and adulterous generation seeks a sign. When we are seeking the miraculous, we are seeking what God can do for us instead of seeking God himself.
I have seen many people's faith derailed when they sought God's hand instead of God. "I don't believe in God anymore because I was praying for my mom to be healed and He didn't do it." God said that He is jealous. He doesn't want our attention divided from Him, even if it's by His own works. God wants us to seek Him. When we do so as Philip did, the miracles naturally follow.
I tried and will continue to try to steer my class to seek God and I pray that you will also turn your thoughts to Him this week.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Not all Gifts are Gold (short story)
“1…2…3…Go!” shouted the instructor. Carrie did not go.
“Stupid Roger,” she spat and stared into the yawning canyon ahead of her. “What made him think jumping off of a mountain would make a good anniversary gift? What about ten years says to him ‘fly through the air on an overgrown kite?’”
Carrie’s instructor, Shawn, said something about taking a second and then trying again.
She spotted Roger’s glider, a blue and red dot against the forested background. Her mind flashed back to their anniversary dinner. She spent weeks selecting a self-winding watch with the inscription “To Roger, Love Carrie” on the back. He gave the watch an obligatory glance before thrusting a rectangular box at her. It was wrapped in blue paper and wound with a white ribbon.
“Tiffany’s,” she squealed. He beamed. She carefully pulled off the ribbon, holding the unwrapped box reverently.
“Go on,” he urged, fidgeting in his chair.
Grandly she took off the lid to find … tickets.
“It’s all arranged. We go for a whole weekend. They do training flights on small hills and then the last day we solo off Dunbar Mountain. We get two solo flights each; it’s going to be so great!”
Carrie sat quietly in her chair. Her eyes read, but didn’t comprehend the words on the paper. “Hang gliding?” she mustered.
“Yeah, I wanted us to do something that would last forever.”
“Well, diamonds last forever and they won’t get you killed.”
“I knew you’d say that. I researched this school. Their safety record is superior. There’s no danger.”
He’s gone to a lot of effort, she thought. But hang gliding?
Her instructor brought her back to the present. “Are you ready, Mrs. Walker?”
“Roger hasn’t plummeted to his death yet, so I guess I’m ready.”
“You’ve already done this fifty times, Mrs. Walker. The process is exactly the same as on the training hills,” Shawn said in an annoyingly calm voice.
“The training hills weren’t over a thousand feet off the ground.” Shawn started to say something, but Carrie stopped him. “Okay,” she said, seriousness creeping over her features. “I’m ready.”
“1…2…3…Go!” Shawn shouted, again.
She willed her feet to move. Soon she was darting down the platform, her cumbersome equipment less of a burden than anticipated. One moment there was hard wood beneath her feet and the next … nothing. Her glider lost altitude. Carrie’s heart froze. Her instincts screamed for her to scramble back to the platform, Tom and Jerry style. But just as she began to wonder if Roger had taken out any new insurance policies, the glider caught wind and leveled off.
The ground did not rush to meet her, but sprawled out ready for examination. The mountain’s trees decked themselves in their fall finery: vermillion, orange, blazing red and million hues in between. In the distance, the fuzzy colored blobs gave way to flat green pastures or were they fields ready for harvest? The landscape dipped and folded; a rumpled quilt on an unmade bed.
Fear gave way to wonder as Carrie embraced the freedom from gravity. She tested her training, making minor adjustments to the equipment. Delighted with her new abilities, she veered left and used the wind to full benefit. “I’m a bird!” she whispered. “Lovely Roger, I’ve never had a better gift.”
“Stupid Roger,” she spat and stared into the yawning canyon ahead of her. “What made him think jumping off of a mountain would make a good anniversary gift? What about ten years says to him ‘fly through the air on an overgrown kite?’”
Carrie’s instructor, Shawn, said something about taking a second and then trying again.
She spotted Roger’s glider, a blue and red dot against the forested background. Her mind flashed back to their anniversary dinner. She spent weeks selecting a self-winding watch with the inscription “To Roger, Love Carrie” on the back. He gave the watch an obligatory glance before thrusting a rectangular box at her. It was wrapped in blue paper and wound with a white ribbon.
“Tiffany’s,” she squealed. He beamed. She carefully pulled off the ribbon, holding the unwrapped box reverently.
“Go on,” he urged, fidgeting in his chair.
Grandly she took off the lid to find … tickets.
“It’s all arranged. We go for a whole weekend. They do training flights on small hills and then the last day we solo off Dunbar Mountain. We get two solo flights each; it’s going to be so great!”
Carrie sat quietly in her chair. Her eyes read, but didn’t comprehend the words on the paper. “Hang gliding?” she mustered.
“Yeah, I wanted us to do something that would last forever.”
“Well, diamonds last forever and they won’t get you killed.”
“I knew you’d say that. I researched this school. Their safety record is superior. There’s no danger.”
He’s gone to a lot of effort, she thought. But hang gliding?
Her instructor brought her back to the present. “Are you ready, Mrs. Walker?”
“Roger hasn’t plummeted to his death yet, so I guess I’m ready.”
“You’ve already done this fifty times, Mrs. Walker. The process is exactly the same as on the training hills,” Shawn said in an annoyingly calm voice.
“The training hills weren’t over a thousand feet off the ground.” Shawn started to say something, but Carrie stopped him. “Okay,” she said, seriousness creeping over her features. “I’m ready.”
“1…2…3…Go!” Shawn shouted, again.
She willed her feet to move. Soon she was darting down the platform, her cumbersome equipment less of a burden than anticipated. One moment there was hard wood beneath her feet and the next … nothing. Her glider lost altitude. Carrie’s heart froze. Her instincts screamed for her to scramble back to the platform, Tom and Jerry style. But just as she began to wonder if Roger had taken out any new insurance policies, the glider caught wind and leveled off.
The ground did not rush to meet her, but sprawled out ready for examination. The mountain’s trees decked themselves in their fall finery: vermillion, orange, blazing red and million hues in between. In the distance, the fuzzy colored blobs gave way to flat green pastures or were they fields ready for harvest? The landscape dipped and folded; a rumpled quilt on an unmade bed.
Fear gave way to wonder as Carrie embraced the freedom from gravity. She tested her training, making minor adjustments to the equipment. Delighted with her new abilities, she veered left and used the wind to full benefit. “I’m a bird!” she whispered. “Lovely Roger, I’ve never had a better gift.”
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I'm so Tired (Gen 2:2)
Last year I noticed a trend among the homeschooling parents that I knew- Everyone was tired. Once I became aware of it, it seemed like our every conversation was based on how exhausted we all were. As I meditated on this, God in His efficiency had my pastor preach on this verse: Gen 2:2 “On the seventh day, having finished his task, God rested from all his work.” NLT
As he taught it was clear to me, we were tired because we had no rest. I spend my Saturdays catching up on the cleaning that didn’t happen during the week and my Sundays lesson planning and grading papers. There are days during the week when I’m moving from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. Other moms I know spend Saturdays shuttling children to little league and Sundays in the nursery. I suppose we homeschoolers don’t have the market on being busy, but I know that it causes problems.
This school year I encourage you to take time to rest. Be selfish, curl up on the couch with that book you’ve been meaning to read or watch your favorite show. Make time with friends. I’ve found that the world won’t end if the bed doesn’t get made and it’s not bad to tell my son to play by himself for awhile.
This verse doesn’t say that God was tired and needed to rest. He is God after all. He rested as an example for us. He created all things to need rest. Remember to pencil yours in this year.
As he taught it was clear to me, we were tired because we had no rest. I spend my Saturdays catching up on the cleaning that didn’t happen during the week and my Sundays lesson planning and grading papers. There are days during the week when I’m moving from the moment I wake up until I go to bed. Other moms I know spend Saturdays shuttling children to little league and Sundays in the nursery. I suppose we homeschoolers don’t have the market on being busy, but I know that it causes problems.
This school year I encourage you to take time to rest. Be selfish, curl up on the couch with that book you’ve been meaning to read or watch your favorite show. Make time with friends. I’ve found that the world won’t end if the bed doesn’t get made and it’s not bad to tell my son to play by himself for awhile.
This verse doesn’t say that God was tired and needed to rest. He is God after all. He rested as an example for us. He created all things to need rest. Remember to pencil yours in this year.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Seeing and Hearing (1st John 1:1-4)
“How do we know we’re right?” asked my nine-year-old from the back seat. He and I talk a lot in the car because Sir Ask-A-Lot has my undivided attention. The current topic was Jesus, so I knew where he was heading. He continued, “I mean, how do we know our God is real, and all those other ones aren’t?”
I never thought I’d be defending my faith while maneuvering through traffic. But I guess we’re supposed to be ready for the tough questions. My kid is always asking things that force me to examine my own beliefs. On the bright side, he keeps me on my spiritual toes.
At some point in our walks, we’re all going to be asked how we know our God is real. Whether it’s accompanied by the innocent gaze of our children or the hostile glare of a stranger, we will have to answer it. I knew in my son’s case and it went beyond a conversation about faith, he needed something more concrete.
I immediately thought about the apostle John. He had a similar problem in the first century church. A belief called Gnosticism surfaced which denied, among other things, the physical nature of Christ. They believed that Christ was spirit only and never became flesh. John addressed this in his first epistle. He reminded everyone that he and others had actually walked alongside the Savior.
He doesn’t mince words, in chapter one verse one he says they have “heard and seen [Jesus].” He goes on to say, “We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands.” Again in verse two, he says “we have seen Him.” And finally in verse three “we ourselves have actually seen and heard.”
John easily battled the false doctrine with a simple, “I was there; I know the truth.” Unfortunately, John wasn’t riding in the passenger seat as I talked with my son. But his principle was. I can’t tell my son that I’ve seen Jesus with my own eyes and touched Him with my own hands, but I can tell him that I’ve seen and heard His work in my life.
It’s important that we show our children and others that God is real. We do that by telling them all of the things He has done in our lives. I told my son “I know Jesus is real because …” and went on with stories from my experience. These stories were the foundation for other car worthy topics such as biblical history, faith and the inerrancy of scripture.
John continues in verse four, “We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.” By joy, he means fellowship with the Father and Jesus (vs. 3). Isn’t that our ultimate goal as parents, to have our children fully share our Joy? Hopefully by showing them how God is real in our lives, they will soon see how He is real in their lives.
I never thought I’d be defending my faith while maneuvering through traffic. But I guess we’re supposed to be ready for the tough questions. My kid is always asking things that force me to examine my own beliefs. On the bright side, he keeps me on my spiritual toes.
At some point in our walks, we’re all going to be asked how we know our God is real. Whether it’s accompanied by the innocent gaze of our children or the hostile glare of a stranger, we will have to answer it. I knew in my son’s case and it went beyond a conversation about faith, he needed something more concrete.
I immediately thought about the apostle John. He had a similar problem in the first century church. A belief called Gnosticism surfaced which denied, among other things, the physical nature of Christ. They believed that Christ was spirit only and never became flesh. John addressed this in his first epistle. He reminded everyone that he and others had actually walked alongside the Savior.
He doesn’t mince words, in chapter one verse one he says they have “heard and seen [Jesus].” He goes on to say, “We saw Him with our own eyes and touched Him with our own hands.” Again in verse two, he says “we have seen Him.” And finally in verse three “we ourselves have actually seen and heard.”
John easily battled the false doctrine with a simple, “I was there; I know the truth.” Unfortunately, John wasn’t riding in the passenger seat as I talked with my son. But his principle was. I can’t tell my son that I’ve seen Jesus with my own eyes and touched Him with my own hands, but I can tell him that I’ve seen and heard His work in my life.
It’s important that we show our children and others that God is real. We do that by telling them all of the things He has done in our lives. I told my son “I know Jesus is real because …” and went on with stories from my experience. These stories were the foundation for other car worthy topics such as biblical history, faith and the inerrancy of scripture.
John continues in verse four, “We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.” By joy, he means fellowship with the Father and Jesus (vs. 3). Isn’t that our ultimate goal as parents, to have our children fully share our Joy? Hopefully by showing them how God is real in our lives, they will soon see how He is real in their lives.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Gensis 1:1 Lesson
Materials:
Old magazines Crayons
Scissors Construction Paper
Glue Stick Bible
Lesson:
1) Turn to Genesis 1:1- Read the verse aloud
2) Randomly throw out words like tree, rock, dirt, bird and ask who made it.
3) Have the children yell out their own suggestions.
4) Briefly discuss that while man may “put together” buildings, God made the components like metal and wood.
5) Turn to Psalm 139:14-16
6) Point out that God made us also. Each person was specially created by him before their birth.
7) Have children write their name and the statement “God made everything- even me!” on the construction paper.
8) Have them draw a small self-portrait on the page.
9) Have them cut out pictures of things God has made from the magazines.
10) Have them paste the pictures on the paper.
Old magazines Crayons
Scissors Construction Paper
Glue Stick Bible
Lesson:
1) Turn to Genesis 1:1- Read the verse aloud
2) Randomly throw out words like tree, rock, dirt, bird and ask who made it.
3) Have the children yell out their own suggestions.
4) Briefly discuss that while man may “put together” buildings, God made the components like metal and wood.
5) Turn to Psalm 139:14-16
6) Point out that God made us also. Each person was specially created by him before their birth.
7) Have children write their name and the statement “God made everything- even me!” on the construction paper.
8) Have them draw a small self-portrait on the page.
9) Have them cut out pictures of things God has made from the magazines.
10) Have them paste the pictures on the paper.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
MommySon Day
My son and I played hooky Monday, a random event known as “Mommy/Son Day.” We went to lunch at Firehouse Subs, my favorite. We looked around a hobby store; playing with remote controlled cars, airplane simulators and sizing up robot kits. Then we went to a gift shop where I bought myself a bracelet and my son a giant green pen. What ten-year-old boy doesn’t want a giant green pen? All of this followed by a movie and a game of Risk at home.
It was an awesome day. We had a blast together. We talked about frivolous topics like Legos and online games. We laughed a lot and didn’t have a single fight. This is an accomplishment considering that an average homeschool day for us is billed as “Hard Headed Mom v. Hard Headed Son – the Death Match.”
Which is why I have Mommy/Son day. Our normal days begin with school around 8 or 8:30 and expand to a myriad of lessons, some he loves and more he hates. This is interspersed with chores, both his and mine. Any break from school is an opportunity to do the laundry or make that call. We don’t have much time to just hang out on the average day.
I think that one of the challenges in homeschooling is to protect that parent-child relationship. It is easy for the loving bond to be lost amid the teacher-student dynamic. We are much more present in our children’s lives than the average parent; our kids begin to see us as correcting machines. We’re the main ones correcting school work, behavior and even posture (sit with your back straight when writing in cursive!).
A parent whose child is in school has one or more teachers to split that burden with. It’s the teacher who makes them do math or who marks the “F” on a test paper. A homeschool parent has to shoulder all of the negative aspects of education. I started Mommy/Son day to battle the image I was developing in my son’s eyes.
Of course, my son and I could do this on the week-end and not interrupt the school week. But for us, doing it on a day we should be schooling drives the point home. I’m telling my kid “You’re more important to me than Saxon mixed practice or Daily Grams.”
Throughout our time on Monday, I was also thinking about how this relates to my life in Christ. It is so easy to get trapped in the routine of faith that we forget our faith life is about a relationship with our Savior. Our walk becomes 11:00am Sunday, 6:00pm Wednesday, 6:30pm every other Thursday. Our quiet time becomes “get that passage read before bible study,” and “I’ve memorized the entire book of Acts.”
When is the last time you opened the Word or prayed without an agenda? When is the last time you sought God, whether in Word, song or prayer, out of a simple desire to spend time with your Maker? I asked myself those questions and was startled to find I wasn’t sure when I had last worshipped just to worship.
Convicted I got up early Tuesday morning and read some Psalms. I put away the concordance and commentaries and just read. I was reminded that God is our Protector, our Strength, our Hope. I entered the day renewed, refreshed and ready for “Hard Headed Mom v. Hard Headed Son round 2.”
It was an awesome day. We had a blast together. We talked about frivolous topics like Legos and online games. We laughed a lot and didn’t have a single fight. This is an accomplishment considering that an average homeschool day for us is billed as “Hard Headed Mom v. Hard Headed Son – the Death Match.”
Which is why I have Mommy/Son day. Our normal days begin with school around 8 or 8:30 and expand to a myriad of lessons, some he loves and more he hates. This is interspersed with chores, both his and mine. Any break from school is an opportunity to do the laundry or make that call. We don’t have much time to just hang out on the average day.
I think that one of the challenges in homeschooling is to protect that parent-child relationship. It is easy for the loving bond to be lost amid the teacher-student dynamic. We are much more present in our children’s lives than the average parent; our kids begin to see us as correcting machines. We’re the main ones correcting school work, behavior and even posture (sit with your back straight when writing in cursive!).
A parent whose child is in school has one or more teachers to split that burden with. It’s the teacher who makes them do math or who marks the “F” on a test paper. A homeschool parent has to shoulder all of the negative aspects of education. I started Mommy/Son day to battle the image I was developing in my son’s eyes.
Of course, my son and I could do this on the week-end and not interrupt the school week. But for us, doing it on a day we should be schooling drives the point home. I’m telling my kid “You’re more important to me than Saxon mixed practice or Daily Grams.”
Throughout our time on Monday, I was also thinking about how this relates to my life in Christ. It is so easy to get trapped in the routine of faith that we forget our faith life is about a relationship with our Savior. Our walk becomes 11:00am Sunday, 6:00pm Wednesday, 6:30pm every other Thursday. Our quiet time becomes “get that passage read before bible study,” and “I’ve memorized the entire book of Acts.”
When is the last time you opened the Word or prayed without an agenda? When is the last time you sought God, whether in Word, song or prayer, out of a simple desire to spend time with your Maker? I asked myself those questions and was startled to find I wasn’t sure when I had last worshipped just to worship.
Convicted I got up early Tuesday morning and read some Psalms. I put away the concordance and commentaries and just read. I was reminded that God is our Protector, our Strength, our Hope. I entered the day renewed, refreshed and ready for “Hard Headed Mom v. Hard Headed Son round 2.”
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Gotcha!
I am a neat, organized person. Some might say uptight, but at least I never loose anything. My ten-year-old son, on the other hand, could never be described as neat or organized. He is a truly random individual and I daily walk the line between letting him be himself and being driven insane by his ways.
Recently, I'd reached my messy room limit. His retreat was a wasteland of Legos, action figures and miscellaneous bits of paper, string and things I couldn't identify. "It's time to clean your room," I said. "You have until noon tomorrow or I'm coming in there. If I have to come in there, you won't be happy." Every good parent knows that consequences should be clearly spelled out, so I added. "I'll have free reign to throw away whatever I see fit."
"Okay," he answered calmly and went back to his computer game.
Before bed, I noticed that he hadn't picked up a single Lego. As a good parent, I wanted to teach him responsibility. He had a time limit and I needed to give him the opportunity to meet it without interference from me. However I couldn't resist a gentle reminder, "You have until noon or I'm going to throw things away."
"I know," he said. "I'll do it in the morning."
At nine the next morning, there were no changes to his room and he'd been up for two hours. I was perplexed. Wasn't he worried about losing some of his favorite things? I was also a little angry. Didn't he appreciate the grace I had already given him? I stalked off to find him, yet again at the computer. I reminded him in my scariest Mommy voice that his toys were in peril.
He glanced at me and said, "I've been thinking about that and I'm just going to let you do it. I need to divest anyway." (Yes, my son knows the word 'divest.')
I was stunned. What had just happened? As a good parent, I needed to follow through with what I'd promised. So his chore was now mine. In his room, I stared at the mad disarray and tried to remember the color of the carpet. With no other options left, I dove in and started to clean.
Part of me wanted to throw everything away just to get back at him, but I didn't have the heart. What kind of parent does that?
So I spent two days on biohazard detail. I had cricks in my back, neck and parts of my body I didn't know could develop cricks. I had almost gone blind plucking miniscule toy pieces out of the carpet and nearly gagged over yogurt containers that had been put into the toy bin instead of the trash. Oh, and I did dispose of one and a half black garbage bags full of junk.
Did my son learn his lesson after watching the bags go to the curb? Nooo, I had restored his Lego stash and found toys he thought he had lost. In fact, he thanked me and immediately began to play.
"What went wrong?" I moaned to my husband. "He wasn't even scared."
"Of course not, you're his Mom. He knows that you wouldn't do anything to hurt him," he answered.
I knew there was a lesson here besides how to get your kid to trick you into cleaning his room for him. My son gave me free reign with his most treasured items because he trusted me. I immediately thought about how we are to come to Christ as a little child. I wondered how often I go to God say "I trust You. Here's my life. Clean out the junk."
What was intended as a lesson for my son, taught me a couple of things instead. Good parents always learn from their mistakes and I now know not to include myself in my son's punishments. In case you're interested, my son has yet to ask me for a single item that was in those bags. He's never even missed them.
Recently, I'd reached my messy room limit. His retreat was a wasteland of Legos, action figures and miscellaneous bits of paper, string and things I couldn't identify. "It's time to clean your room," I said. "You have until noon tomorrow or I'm coming in there. If I have to come in there, you won't be happy." Every good parent knows that consequences should be clearly spelled out, so I added. "I'll have free reign to throw away whatever I see fit."
"Okay," he answered calmly and went back to his computer game.
Before bed, I noticed that he hadn't picked up a single Lego. As a good parent, I wanted to teach him responsibility. He had a time limit and I needed to give him the opportunity to meet it without interference from me. However I couldn't resist a gentle reminder, "You have until noon or I'm going to throw things away."
"I know," he said. "I'll do it in the morning."
At nine the next morning, there were no changes to his room and he'd been up for two hours. I was perplexed. Wasn't he worried about losing some of his favorite things? I was also a little angry. Didn't he appreciate the grace I had already given him? I stalked off to find him, yet again at the computer. I reminded him in my scariest Mommy voice that his toys were in peril.
He glanced at me and said, "I've been thinking about that and I'm just going to let you do it. I need to divest anyway." (Yes, my son knows the word 'divest.')
I was stunned. What had just happened? As a good parent, I needed to follow through with what I'd promised. So his chore was now mine. In his room, I stared at the mad disarray and tried to remember the color of the carpet. With no other options left, I dove in and started to clean.
Part of me wanted to throw everything away just to get back at him, but I didn't have the heart. What kind of parent does that?
So I spent two days on biohazard detail. I had cricks in my back, neck and parts of my body I didn't know could develop cricks. I had almost gone blind plucking miniscule toy pieces out of the carpet and nearly gagged over yogurt containers that had been put into the toy bin instead of the trash. Oh, and I did dispose of one and a half black garbage bags full of junk.
Did my son learn his lesson after watching the bags go to the curb? Nooo, I had restored his Lego stash and found toys he thought he had lost. In fact, he thanked me and immediately began to play.
"What went wrong?" I moaned to my husband. "He wasn't even scared."
"Of course not, you're his Mom. He knows that you wouldn't do anything to hurt him," he answered.
I knew there was a lesson here besides how to get your kid to trick you into cleaning his room for him. My son gave me free reign with his most treasured items because he trusted me. I immediately thought about how we are to come to Christ as a little child. I wondered how often I go to God say "I trust You. Here's my life. Clean out the junk."
What was intended as a lesson for my son, taught me a couple of things instead. Good parents always learn from their mistakes and I now know not to include myself in my son's punishments. In case you're interested, my son has yet to ask me for a single item that was in those bags. He's never even missed them.
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