What's good for the goslings is good for the goose.
I delight to do Your will, O my God,
and Your law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8
As I sat folding bulletins at Peter's desk this morning, I heard the last child I had not yet seen, coming down the hall to find a quick breakfast before heading for church. I should say flapping down the hall, for I heard her flops. Knowing it was cool outside, and usually cold in our sanctuary, and inappropriate for January and church anyway, I called out to her to put stockings and shoes on. I am not sure how she responded but I knew intuitively that she was not pleased.
I thought about that then. Had I been a more faithful parent, my kids would not be using body language now to let me know that my instructions are not appreciated. I mentioned it to Cal and suggested that I perhaps needed to be addressing the attitudes more. As we drove to church I explained to the children that not only should they respond well to our instructions, but that they should delight to do whatever we ask them in the Lord, as obedience to parents is a picture, like marriage is a picture, of our relations with God. Their obedience to me, whether they understand or agree or not, is saying, as we ought to say to God, "though I don't understand, I trust you" and "not my will, but Thine be done." When Cal broadened the lesson to our cheerful submission to all God-ordained authority I remembered my selfish resentment last night when he called for family worship when I was busy with an old videotape, looking for a picture of my childhood. To my children I apologize for my bad example.
May God help all of us, goose, gander, and goslings, to delight to do God's will.
and Your law is within my heart. Psalm 40:8
As I sat folding bulletins at Peter's desk this morning, I heard the last child I had not yet seen, coming down the hall to find a quick breakfast before heading for church. I should say flapping down the hall, for I heard her flops. Knowing it was cool outside, and usually cold in our sanctuary, and inappropriate for January and church anyway, I called out to her to put stockings and shoes on. I am not sure how she responded but I knew intuitively that she was not pleased.
I thought about that then. Had I been a more faithful parent, my kids would not be using body language now to let me know that my instructions are not appreciated. I mentioned it to Cal and suggested that I perhaps needed to be addressing the attitudes more. As we drove to church I explained to the children that not only should they respond well to our instructions, but that they should delight to do whatever we ask them in the Lord, as obedience to parents is a picture, like marriage is a picture, of our relations with God. Their obedience to me, whether they understand or agree or not, is saying, as we ought to say to God, "though I don't understand, I trust you" and "not my will, but Thine be done." When Cal broadened the lesson to our cheerful submission to all God-ordained authority I remembered my selfish resentment last night when he called for family worship when I was busy with an old videotape, looking for a picture of my childhood. To my children I apologize for my bad example.
May God help all of us, goose, gander, and goslings, to delight to do God's will.
posted by Compleat Mom at 10:51 PM
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