I can only write for a second...my friend, Cathy, invited me to meet her at our new Christian bookstore for coffee. Cathy doesn't like coffee, but I do think that is the only major character flaw I see.
I keep praying for Molly this morning. The reason being...wow, I hate saying this...our last interaction of the morning? Let's just say it wouldn't win me the "Mother-of-the-Year" award, ok? As we were walking out of the house Molly said, "Mom, can I have a Pop-tart?" I had just given Mason a Pop-tart, but Molly has a sort of "way" of eating Pop-tarts that is really messy and very slow. She picks off all the outside edges where the frosting doesn't quite make it to the rim. She does this very deliberately and intentionally, so as not to accidently get ANY frosting whatsoever into the discard pile.
I told her "no"...put a nutri-grain into her hand and started out the door. "Mom, I don't like this kind of nutri-grain!" So, I took the nutri-grain, thrust it back into the box (where it got all smashed up), and shoved a different flavor at her.
What were my actions saying to Molly? I love getting to school on time more than I love you...I don't care if you're hungry, you are interrupting my schedule...A clean car is more important than anything else. I know what my brother would say. He would say "you're too hard on yourself." And that would be true if I was going to camp out here and roast marshmallows.
But instead, I will tell Jesus I blew it. I will pray for Molly all day and when she gets home I will hug her and own up to my failure to love her well. I will ask her to forgive me, pray with her, and rejoice in how God restores broken things.
Then I will give her a Pop-tart.
Bless ya!
1 comment:
Oh Amy...how many times have I done just the same? My heart is so convicted of my own sin as I read your post. I, too, have had moments when I've just wanted it "my way" and used the excuse that "I'm your mother and that's just how it's gonna be" rather than being firm in my patience. Although it's often comforting to know that we're not alone in our struggle, I still loathe the sin within me.
Post a Comment