my messy kids = my messy self

I found myself telling my husband this morning, after a very trying morning with the littles (and it was only 10 am!) that I wish, “they could just be perfect so I could just enjoy them and love on them.” That’s all I really want to do, discipline gets in the way so often. It makes our relationship bumpy and messy, and I don’t like it. I want to just have fun, love on my littles, and enjoy them. The easy road.

As I was folding laundry later, I was reflecting on these thoughts and immediately my mind was brought to what God must think of me and if He says the same things. “Child, I wish you would just ‘get’ it! Life is easy, if you would just listen to me!” It pains God the same way it does me with my children when I disobey Him and our “closeness” is severed. Argh!! No one told me that having children and parenting them would be a reflection into myself and how crummy of a person I can be! I wonder if in the Garden of Eden God shook his head at Adam and Eve and thought, “Why did they do that? I just wanted you to enjoy the garden!”

We’re all messy people. From the time we’re little, disobeying our parents to the time we’re big, disobeying God and His word. Thank goodness for grace that says, “I love you unconditionally, no matter what you’ve done.” Without all our mess-ups we would never be able to see or appreciate grace and the cost of it.

I need that reminder frequently. I’m thankful for kids that aren’t perfect (although it’d make parenting easier!) because they are a perfect mirror for me to be reminded of who I am and what I look like.