The Lion and the Lamb

Don't you just love it when God uses your children to show you your sin?

That sounds a little sarcastic, but actually, I don't mean it that way. When my children point out something in my life, it's usually dead on, and also a little funny or cute, so I get the conviction...and a laugh, too.

Ok, now that sounds like I might think sin is funny or something. Good grief...if I'm going to sit around and worry about what you people think of me, I'll never get my housework done...

Anyway, the following is a question (and maybe a commentary?) that was put to me by my precious Molly this morning at the breakfast table. Let me set the scene: after sleeping in for quite a few extra minutes, I inevitably woke the kids late. So, by the time we made it to the breakfast table, we should have already been well into "chore chart" time. I told the girls that since we were running late, we were just having a quick breakfast - nothing fancy. Caroline then proceeds to ask if she can have different things that will take time to make: waffles, toast, cinnamon rolls. No, no, no, I answer. Cereal, nutri-grain, cheese - you pick, but pick now. Caroline pouts and points out that in the time it has taken me to chop up an orange for Molly, I could have stuck a couple peices of bread in the toaster. True enough. SO, I grab the bread, throw it on the counter, shove two pieces into the toaster.

Molly looks at me and asks: "Mommy, will there be animals in heaven?" I explain to her that she has asked a great question and that, yes, there will be animals (in the new earth - hope my theology is correct here. Michael?), and if we feel like taking a nap, we will be able to curl up next to a great big lion to stay warm and he won't hurt us. That, in fact, the wild animals will be our friends - they will be nice to us.

Then she adds: "Mommy, will you be nice to us in heaven?"

Ouch!


Bless ya!

Footnote: I could add here that at the moment this interchange occured I had been awake for a mere 5 minutes, hadn't had my coffee yet, etc...but that would be excuse making. Molly called me on the carpet. I was unkind to my children this morning. Maybe not so much in my words, but in my actions (which they saw clearly), I was anything but "nice". I need reminders like this...they show me how ugly my heart can be, but also my desperate need of Jesus.