Children

I was sitting at the local Panera Bread Co. and, taking a rest from my reading, I glanced around the room. I saw two children, one probably about 7 years old and the other no older than 3. They were playing or running, or any combination of the two...sure it was inside but they're kids, that's what they do. The mom walked past and she had this exasperated look on her face.

I think it's funny that parents forget that their kids are kids and want them not to pester you or annoy you or just be quiet. But they're kids. They may not remember five minutes ago when you told them no, so you have to say it again...or maybe they do but they want to know how tolerant you are going to be of disobedience. Sure, kids test their parents but they also have fun...it's actually their job to have fun. I mean, what else are they going to do...they don't really have any marketable skills...at least not in our society. But parents so easily lose patience with their kids because they have forgotten what it's like to be a kid. Parents are so used to being adults that they forgot what it's like not being an adult, and expect their kids to act like adults, and that just never works.

And what of God. I was reading in the first epistle of John this morning and time after time he refers to his audience as children of God. If we are children and God is our Father then why do we get so frustrated with ourselves when we have trouble walking, or talking or developing in other spiritual ways. I can't remember where this passage is found, but somewhere in scripture it says that God knows we are dust. Sure, He expects us to mature and grow in our knowledge of Him, just as we expect children to walk by the age of 2 or be off their nook by the age of 2 or three (four or five year olds still walking around with pacifiers is another matter).

I think that God gives us special enabling to understand and grow more and more, and we rely on Him more and more. But I think that when we are frustrated by our struggles or seeming lack of growth, we fall further backward, or stunt our progress more than just falling, standing back up and going on. Take courage, realize when you fall, ask God to give you strength and courage, and go on with Him. Don't dwell on it; confess it and go on... in and by His grace.