A Father Teaches A Mother

The only way to get through bath time around here is on a hope and a prayer! How is it that 2 pretty little girls, both under the age of 4, are able to drive me to near insanity several times a day??!!??
Two nights ago we were doing our usual thing. It was about 5:30pm, I was taking the girls out of the tub to get them all lathered up in there yummy smelling baby lotion, put them in their clean, comfy jammies...and then....attempt the ultimate feat....combing their hair!
I had my oldest, Katelyn in between my legs on the floor. I am being so very gentle, carefully pulling the comb through her overly conditioned hair. "Mommy! Mommy! OUCH!!! You're hurting me! STOP!!! You're hurting me!!!" (I seriously have to close the windows around my home before I comb their hair, it's ridiculous. Can someone say....Drama Queen?)
On that particular evening, I took a very deep breathe, and oh so calmly... "Katelyn, honey, come on, it's not that bad. I'm being as gentle as I can. Sweetheart, sit real still so it wont hurt. Don't you trust mommy? You know that I love you and I don't want to hurt you. I promise, if you hold real still, you'll see, it will be over in just a second and you'll be alright. I promise. Good girl."
And in that very moment, as I was speaking those words to Katelyn, the strangest idea occurred to me. This must be exactly how God feels when we are throwing a temper tantrum at Him as we are going through a crisis.
When we are in the middle of something terrible like illness or a tragedy
or a string of bad circumstances, we start flipping out, throwing up our hands, blaming God, and begging for the pain to end.
But just like the mom on the loving end of the comb, He sees the bigger picture. He knows that the situation will pass and the pain will cease. He knows that in the scheme of things, although we can't see it clearly, this small moment of pain will bring about goodness. God asks "Don't you trust me? You know that I created you, that I love you, and I don't want to hurt you. I promise, if you stay faithful, you'll see, it will be over in a second and you'll be alright. Good girl."

Then it happened to me again this afternoon. I was dealing with Katelyn, and God spoke right to my heart.
I picked her up from preschool, the girls were watching Clifford the Big Red Dog on the couch while I made their Mac N Cheese for lunch. Katelyn took off her tennis shoes on the couch and Taylor immediately tattled that Katelyn got sand everywhere. (yep, right at the beginning of the fun sibling stuff!) I scooped up the sand while I teased Katelyn "Honey, come on, I've told you before, we have to take your tennis shoes off outside because you always insist on bringing the entire sandbox home with you! Please don't do that again."
She giggled and watched me as I dumped the sand in the backyard. She very seriously said, "Mommy, I'm really sorry. I wont do that again."
I am so proud when she really gets it and I lovingly replied, "it's okay honey, i love you, don't worry about it, just please remember next time, okay?"
And there was God, right in my heart as I was speaking the words to Katelyn. It's as if he was saying to me.....
"Kim, that's exactly how I feel when I am dealing with you, my child. I lovingly watch over you, guide you, teach you and instruct you. And when you get off course, I correct you. I put that feeling of conviction and guilt in your heart as a way of telling you where you went wrong. And when you listen, and come to me asking for forgiveness with a sincere heart, I am so quick to forgive you and reassure you and tell you that I love you."