Grace & Cheerios

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Look at that face.

That's the "you want me to smile but I'm my own man so I'm going to refuse" face.

We seem to be seeing that face a lot here lately.  It's usually accompanied by the lovely word NO or some other form of emotional outburst.  Often it involves "whooshing away" (because that's what Thomas the Train does).  It's exhausting.

When you have a baby everyone has lots of advice for you.  You go to breastfeeding classes and birthing classes.  Personally I need to go to a "how to raise a toddler" class.  MUCH more beneficial than a birthing class in my opinion.  You birth once (for each kid).  You parent every single day all day long and even sometimes during the wee hours of the morning.

I've been thinking a lot about the issues we've been having.  And I know there are always lessons to be learned from my children as I'm teaching them.

So...

What it all boils down to is this.

We are sinful sinful people.  I know that sounds like an obvious statement.  But sometimes the obvious is staring us right in the face and we can't see it.  Probably because we're sleep deprived and keep hearing "please obey Mama" over and over in our heads.

Our little ones are sinful.  I think it pains us to admit that sometimes.  They are so cute and cuddly and sweet.  And then all of the sudden overnight they seem to turn into real people.  And somehow it's a lot harder to forgive their sinfulness when they are teeny tiny and helpless than when they've poured an entire container of oatmeal on the pantry floor and are swimming in it.  True story.

Here is the beauty of Christ though.

He forgives sin.  All of it.

1 John 1:7-9 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.  If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Amen!  Right?  I mean seriously.  He forgives our sins.  Amazing.

But the second part of the verse is important too.  If we claim we have no sin we are only fooling ourselves.  I'm sorry but you are nuts if you come into our house and can't see the sinfulness.  We are selfish, prideful....well I won't list them all.  But we are seriously imperfect people.

I wish I wasn't teaching my children to sin but sadly I know I do.  But I'm also teaching them about sin.  And how to be washed of their sin.  And how to walk daily WITH Christ.  I don't always do a good job but my prayer is that they will grow up and KNOW the love of Christ.  They will KNOW without a doubt that if they ask they are forgiven.  And my prayer is that I can be forgiving.  That I will model grace for my children and extend it to them even when they don't deserve it.

Because I have a feeling we aren't quite finished with moments like this....

or this....

or this!