Psalms 119:1-112
Oh, that my actions would consistently
reflect your decrees! – Psalm 119:5
We had an interesting moment this evening with Anna that as it was happening I knew it was happening specifically so that I could write about it. Weird? Not for me anymore. 😉
Anna was taking FOREVER in the bathroom finishing drying off after her shower. It was half an hour past the time we like to have her in bed and after repeated attempts to tell her to hurry up Sean went to the bathroom door and repeated himself once again. Which was met with a little seven (almost eight) year old attitude. Not a good idea little girl. She growled at him through the door as if somehow he was the one in the wrong, then came out and gave him a cold stare as she stalked past him to her room. He calmly told her to get her pajamas on as he walked back toward the living room. He was two steps away when her door slammed behind her. At this we both reacted and told her that slamming doors is absolutely unacceptable behavior in this house. Which she already knows quite well.
I pulled out pajamas for her and started brushing her wet tangled hair while I explained,
“Anna, you know you’re not supposed to slam your door.”
… Silence as the buds of angry tears formed in the corners of her eyes. I could almost read her thoughts, “How dare you yell at me. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Do you know why we were angry with you?”
Her red eyes held full-sized tears as they bore holes into the front of her dresser, refusing to look at me.
“Anna. When Daddy say it’s time to hurry up, he means it. He’s not just saying it to be mean, it’s because it’s late and he knows that when you don’t get to bed soon enough, you don’t get enough sleep. And when you don’t get enough sleep you don’t do as well at school. And when you don’t do well at school you don’t feel very good about yourself and we don’t want that to happen. We want you to feel good about yourself so that’s why it’s important to us that you get to bed on time.
When you don’t obey what Daddy tells you to do, when he tells you to do it, that tells him that you don’t trust what he is saying is for your good.
But when you obey Daddy, that tells him that you love him and that you trust him. Do you love Daddy? Do you trust him to take care of you? Then you need to do what he says to do then don’t you.”
The wet head in my hand nodded slightly with a sniffle and a hug and we finished our bedtime routine without any more hitches and a couple extra hugs and kisses for Daddy.
Although this message hit me at the time that it would be important for someone else to hear this tonight, as I typed it I realized that it was just as much for me as it was for Anna. Usually He does that while it’s coming out of my mouth not my fingers. 😉
Our Daddy loves us. And what He is telling us to do right now is to TRUST HIM. He knows what He’s doing. He knows what’s best for us and what we need the most. They wouldn’t call it faith if it didn’t require at least a small measure of belief on the part of the faithful.
It’s time we step out in faith my friends, for He knows the plans He has for us. Plans for our good and not our harm. Plans for a hope and a future – our hope and our future. We can trust our God, He knows what He’s doing. He’s been doing it for far longer than we’ve been doubting it so we might as well go along with Him. I certainly wouldn’t want to go against Him, would you!?!
Tamar Knochel 