Thank you Lord that I am not God!

I recently found myself very tired of repeating myself. I had been telling my children every day that I needed their attention to our school activities. We were trying to get school work done and get ready for our crate to come. It was a lot of distractions, and they are just kids. It was taking everything I had to not lose focus and get off schedule. I was tired of begging them to stay focused. As I went to the bathroom to find what solitude I could, I realized how little I was getting frustrated about.

I was getting tired of reminding two children of one thing for a few days. God has to repeat Himself on a daily basis to billions of people, some who say they want to follow but do not stay on task and some who have no interest in listening. Thank you Lord for not yet getting exasperated with me like I was with my children. Help me to show that same patience with my children.

So a week later I was dealing with my dramatic child. Mariama had been disobeying me in small ways all morning. I would say something to correct her and then she would immediately apologize. A few minutes later I would be correcting her for something else and hearing the same apology. I exploded when she tried to apologize the fourth time. I just could not hear that same, seemingly fake apology one more time. I found myself in the shower crying because I had gotten so tired of forgiving to have her do it again. Once again I heard those same words from The Lord. If you Lord can be patient with billions of people, you can give me the patience I need to continue to instruct my children. Thank you Lord that I am not You because I would not make it one minute without running out of patience.

"Train up a child I the way he should go...." has so many more applications than we generally realize. Children need training, which is why we are commanded to do it. Training is not a one time task, but it requires purposeful daily repetition. It is not a lecture. It is not even teaching, generally considered to be telling and then letting the listener do. It is a walking alongside hand in hand. The Lord is daily training me to be a trainer of my children, taking me daily by the hand to know how to take them by the hand as well.