The Teachings of a Two Year Old

Lately it has seemed that our son's case of the terrible twos has errupted into a scene from the Exorcist movies. Not cool. But through it all God has been able to show my wife and I a lot. We have had our patience tried through a lot of bad behavior. Talking back, straight-out defiance, and a destructive spirit. Bekah and I were at our wits end at what to do or even how to parent. It came to a breaking point last night and this morning. Nathan woke up several times and wouldn't go to sleep. That was just the beginning. When we finally woke up Bekah got his breakfast, some cereal and grape juice. I was still lying in bed when she said that Nathan had thrown his cereal on the floor. This was not the climax. He then proceeded to throw his juice onto the floor. He then had the nerve to tell Bekah to clean it up. Needless to say a barage of emotions were expressed amongst the mess and exhaustion from the previous night's lack of sleep. After the dust cloud had settled and the morning turned into the afternoon God decided to used this mornings events and the past couple of weeks to speak to me.

"That is how you have been acting and treating Me." Ouch. "You have made the mess and have demanded that I clean it up." Oh my. Is this true? Is this how I have been treating my Father? Through my sins and my arrogance I have been acting like a two year old with no remorse. But God has a way of getting a hold of us. I was listening to a podcast this morning while I was running and the pastor referenced the scripture in Revelation where God will vomit us out of His mouth if we are luke-warm. As the speaker mentioned didn't say that He wants us to be 100% "on fire" for Him or the complete opposite and be cold and useless, but rather be refreshing as a ice cold drink on a hot summer's day or a hot cup of cocoa on a frigid winter's night. The point is that to be luke-warm is to be useless. The way that I have been in my spiritual walk lately has been that comfortable, complacent, content Christian.......USELESS.

God used my two year old son to show me that. Through my lacking and disregard for who God really is, He used my flesh and blood to teach me what I should know at 27 years of age. Thank you Father for my son and through humbling me and teaching me that you want me in 100% not in the middle. Make me a ice cold refreshment that is utterly consumed by flames of refinement and grace.