Just Don't Do it Again!

"...And Jesus said, 'Neither do I condemn you; go your way. From now on sin no more'."
John 8:11 NASB

Written 8/19/93
I caught Courtney in a lie the other day. They learn so young. It was just a little lie, but a lie is a lie and we have to "nip it in the bud."

She had asked me for something and I told her to ask her daddy, who was outside. I heard her ask him, but wasn't sure of his answer. When she came back in I said, "What did Daddy say?" She replied, "Yes." I didn't really think that was the answer he gave her so I called out to him "Did you say yes?" He replied "No."

I told her to go to her room for lying to me and think about it. I heard such sobbing in her room that a few minutes later I went in there. She told me she was sorry and I told her "OK, I love you but, just don't do it again!" That's the way God is with us. We do something we know we're not supposed to so God has to "nip it in the bud" and let us think about it because we are His children. I love Courtney more than anything on this earth and when she says she is sorry, I always forgive her but tell her not to do it again. God loves His children

Because I'm the Mommy, that's Why!

"Obey God because you are His children ... "
I Peter 1:14 TLB

Written 8/11/93
Courtney is at that age (3) where everything you say to her comes back with the question "Why"? I try to answer the why quandary each time the best I can (if there is an answer). Sometimes, however, "why" is not what a Mommy wants to hear!

One day I told her to pick up all her toys, crayons, coloring books, etc., that were scattered all over the floor and she asked, you guessed it, "Why"? At first I told her because we want to be nice and neat. I guess that answer wasn't good enough, as she didn't clean up her mess. I told her again to pick up her things and again ... "Why?" Well, that was enough. I told her "Because I'm the Mommy, that's why and you are supposed to obey me!"

When God asks us to do something, we almost always ask Him "Why?" Sometimes He may give us an answer, sometimes not, or sometimes it's not the answer we want to hear, so we ask again "Why?" It's just like when we ask our children to do something, when God asks us to do something we, as His children, should just do it because we're supposed to. We must trust what He tells us to do and just do it because "He's the Father!"

Gumballs

"...I, the Lord, will bring it all to pass when it is time."
Isaiah 60:22 TLB

Written 7/30/93
God is teaching me so many things through the simplest everyday activities, especially through my three-year-old daughter, Courtney.

Courtney and I were in the kitchen one day and she asked me for a gumball. I told her "sure" but told her to wait a few minutes until we finished our tasks. Of course, that was not good enough. She proceeded to scream and cry "I want it NOW" and ended up being disciplined for the tantrum she threw. I knew all along that I was going to give her a gumball but she needed to wait for me. She also knew she would get it because I told her she would.

As God's children, I'm sure this is the way He sees us. We ask Him for something and He says "Sure, but wait for Me"...but we want it NOW. We may end up throwing a tantrum and being disciplined, out of His love, just as we do our own children.

In God's eternal plan, I'm sure some of our requests are like gum balls to Him. We think our "gum balls" are the most important thing in the world, and He, in His wisdom, may have every intention on giving them to us, but He knows when it should be given.

As much as I love Courtney, I can't see why she makes such a production over gum balls because I know what a small request it is and she will get it in my time. As God loves us, I'm sure He smiles at us when we make such a big production over our "gum balls" and knowing if we wait, in His time, He will give it to us.