She thinks I am the meanest mommy in the entire world.
Definitely a killjoy. Hampering her behavior.
It only takes two words to send her to a pouting, crying huddle in the corner as she tries to hide the behavior.
Those words? "No thumb!"
Flower is a thumb-sucker. She has been from the womb. But what is cute at 3 days is not cute at almost 3 years. Especially when it can do damage to an otherwise adorable smile. So, because I love her and know that it will be easier to break the habit now than later, I am encouraging her to stop. But she does not see it as loving. She sees it as restricting and mean. And she kicks and screams (sometimes literally) to not change. Seeing the bigger picture, I have to persevere. Even though it breaks my heart to see her unhappy, love knows the outcome will be worth the hurt.
And this mirrors my spiritual walk. There are times that I struggle to not see the restrictions of God as mean. I am comfortable in my behavior. Then God says, "Don't take pride in that!" and I go off to the corner to pout. Or He says, "let go of that possession," and I hold on tighter. He sees the bigger picture and knows that the momentary disappointment and hurt will lead to greater gains.
"Love is beautiful, but it is also terrible--terrible in its determination to allow nothing blemished or unworthy to remain in the beloved."
~ Hannah Hurnard ~
~Hinds' Feet on High Places~
Sometimes, the terrible love of God is to ask us to walk through serious pain and suffering. Sometimes it is the not-so-simple releasing and refining in our lives. But it is the love of God that calls us to those times and sustains us through them. Whether it is the breaking of a habit, the demolishing of a not-pretty character trait or the endurance of a long and painful trial, we are able to survive those times because of His love. I pray that I can recognize the hand of love in the things I must walk through.
"For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off. See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this. How can I let myself be defamed? I will not yield my glory to another. " Isaiah 48:9-11 (italics added)
Our hostess this week is Bonnie at Ink it Blog. Please come and be blessed by other interpretations of this quote.
13 comments:
Amen my friend, bless you.
Oh...your analogy got me....
wonderful!
I too find myself resistant and HE continues to pull that thumb out, knowing I will be better for it!
Loved it!
thank you for the blessing.
lori
Hi,
This is my first time to your beautiful blog!
Great analogy...but my heart goes out to your daughter. I was a thumbsucker too, (till I was nine).
Oh how I loved it...but yes, I've paid dearly for it too. My bite is horrible.
I'll be praying for your precious little girl.
Blessings!
Susan
Awesome post! That refining process sure is painful sometimes, but that end product....wow!
God is great and even though He works through mysteries, it's wonderful to know that He's always working...even when we don't like the process.
BTW...try painting her nails and adding a special pretty nail sticker to her thumbnail. Reminding her not to mess up her pretty nails is a little easier that way ;)
God bless!
Miriam,
Though my children are all grown up, I have grandchildren now. Abby has a stash of pacifiers. As often as her mom takes them away, she seems to have another one hidden somewhere. She's even been known to take her baby brother's paci!
I'm so glad God works overtime to expose and break those habits in us that He knows will harm us.
I always enjoy my visits to your blog. Thanks for sharing today.
Bonnie
I love your words for this quote! Would that I recognize God's loving intervention in my life quicker and that I would pout less!
Blessings on you and may you persevere!
The Master disciplines, but always with love. Amen! I find that with maturity though I am quicker to obey when He corrects. God is faithful and continues to show me He is determined to bring me higher, in all things. Glory!
I was just reading another IOW entry and realized how well this quote "fit" the parent-child relationship. I would have never gone that way ~ but, oh so very true!
It would be easier for both you and your daughter if you just looked the other way, but you have her best interests in mind. Good analogy.
Isn't it amazing how the different stages in our life give us insight into God and his word. So far, parenting has been the stage where I have learned the most!
Great post today! I definitely agree with you.
Great post. I can relate to the thumb sucking children! :)
Enjoyed your post Mipas
I find comfort in the old habits. But I'm glad He doesn't!
Great post! You've shared my heart when you wrote, "Whether it is the breaking of a habit, the demolishing of a not-pretty character trait or the endurance of a long and painful trial, we are able to survive those times because of His love." Thanks for putting words to the emotions for me!
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