Being Two
Megan Breedlove My youngest son, Timmy, is two. Some days, he’s really, really two. (If you’ve ever had a two-year-old, you know exactly what I mean.)
Consider, for example, the following conversation we had the other day:
Timmy: “Have snack?”
Me: “No, it’s not snack time.”
Timmy: “Waaaaaahhhhh!”
Or this one:
Me: “Timmy, put your shoes away.”
Timmy: “No, Mommy.”
To his credit, Timmy doesn’t defy me with a straight-up “no” very often. His usual responses, when I deny him something he wants or tell him to do something he doesn’t want to do, are to say, “Awwwww,” as if he is the most disappointed boy in the world; to cry, sometimes with tantrum included; or to pout, making sure I notice his downcast face and stuck-out lip.
When I denied Timmy that snack and he cried, I remember thinking, “I wish he would just be thankful that I am going to give him something even better than what he’s asking for.”
Of course, I knew that such a response lies far beyond a 2-year-old’s maturity level. Unfortunately, it also often lies beyond our maturity as moms.
God denies us something we want, and we pout and complain. Or He tells us to do something, and we argue with Him or give Him a flat-out “no”.
We want a nicer house, car, or vacation, so we pray about it. So far, no problem. The problem comes in when God says no to our request and we say, “Awwwww,” as if we’re the most disappointed mom in the world.
Or God tells us to do something—to sacrifice a little bit more of ourselves for our husband or children, perhaps—and we grumble about it or say, “No, Daddy.”
We expect two-year-olds to do these things. But shouldn’t we, as adults and as Christians, be far past these kinds of reactions? Yes, we should.
Then why aren’t we?
Because we don’t really trust or believe God. Sure, we believe in God, and in His Son Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. But we don’t really believe that His judgments of what is good for us are superior to ours.
If we did, then when God denied us something, we would realize—and truly believe in our hearts—that what God is offering us is something even greater. God doesn’t withhold huge blessings from us just so He can expect us to be satisfied with a pittance. In fact, the Bible tells us that He doesn’t withhold any good thing from those who are walking rightly with Him.
Likewise, when God tells us to do something, we would agree that we’d be far better off doing what God has asked than resisting doing it. God doesn’t ask us to do “busy work”. Everything He asks has a purpose.
What is your attitude when God denies you something you wanted? Do you pout, or do you thank Him for giving you something even better?
How do you respond when God tells you to do something? Do you resist His instructions, or do you obey eagerly?
I know it’s hard to have the right attitude sometimes. Not everything God asks us to do is fun, and sometimes it’s hard to be denied what we wanted so much. But if we truly believe that God knows what He’s doing, our response to His direction in our lives won’t be that of a two-year-old. Instead, we’ll respond as the loving and trusting child He wants us to be.
Psalm 84:11—For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. (NIV)
You know how sometimes, a song gets stuck in your head?
Yesterday, on Easter, I staged an Easter egg hunt for my children in the front yard. They wound up with more candy than they needed. But getting candy isn’t the reason why Jesus’ resurrection matters.
The other day, Timmy and I had what I think was an actual conversation. Sort of, anyway. It went like this:
Maybe your husband just lost his job. Maybe you just lost yours. Maybe you’re struggling with discipline problems with your children. Maybe you’ve recently lost someone you love.
The house was peacefully quiet. Timmy was taking a nap—or so I thought—and two of my daughters (the only other kids home at the time) were playing with a friend. I was sitting on the couch in the living room working on a cross stitch project when my daughters and their friend walked into the living room…followed by Timmy.
In thinking about it, I realized that Timmy had probably been able to climb out of his crib for awhile now. The only thing keeping him there may not have been his inability to get out, but his mistaken assumption that he was unable to do so.
What excuse are you using for not doing what God has called you to do? Do you think you don’t have the ability to do what He’s asking? Do you protest that you don’t know how?
Several years ago, Lindsey appointed herself my “company girl”. This means she accompanies me whenever I go somewhere (at least, any time she’s allowed to) and keeps me company on the trip. It doesn’t matter to her what we do; she just likes being together.
It was a cool, overcast Sunday afternoon. Phil and I and the kids were in the minivan on the way back from Phil’s parents’ house. The four older kids were playing their DS’s or reading, Phil was driving, and I was working on a cross stitch project (there will be a devotion about it later). Timmy was sitting peacefully strapped into his seat watching the world go by. All was quiet, until….
It’s not that Ellie doesn’t have a regular bedtime, or a regular bedtime routine. It’s not that she doesn’t have enough hours available to her for sleep. It’s just that sometimes, she doesn’t sleep well, and she winds up going through the next day tired.