My lesson through the cookie

I have to tell you, the Lord uses the darndest things to teach me lessons. Here’s what just went down at the Rebecca House. 

We’re having dinner with some of our neighbors tonight, and I offered to bring cupcakes.  My favorites are the ones from Swirl bakery in Flower Mound, so the kids and I went to pick some out.  It’s a gorgeous day; I was in a fantastic mood, eager to have a special day with Caitlyn and Nick.  So I let them each pick out a cookie.  As we drove back to the house, I was secretly planning fun activities to do this afternoon.

We got home; I plopped the kids down at the table, and gave them their treats. 

 Immediately my sweet daughter started whining, “But mo-om (only a child can turn “mom” into a two-syllable word), mo-om, I wanted CHOCOLATE!”  Me – “Caitlyn, you picked out strawberry!  That’s the cookie you picked out!”  “No!!  I wanted a chocolate one!”  On my life, she picked strawberry.

So I told her firmly, “Caitlyn, that’s the cookie you picked, and that’s the cookie you get.  And by the way, you haven’t even told me ‘thank you.’”  “Thank you,” she grumbles.

I let it go; the kid’s not even four yet.  I’m straightening up around the kitchen, and then I walk back over to the table.  “Guys, how do you like your cookies?”  “It’s good, mommy,” answers Nick.  I laugh at his frosting covered face.  “How’s yours, Caitlyn?”  “I don’t like it!” she says with a pout.  “Ok!” I say cheerfully.  “I’ll take it.”  So I picked up the half-eaten cookie, and throw it away.  Tough?  Yes, but my sweet almost-four year old needs to learn a little lesson in grace.

The tantrum that ensued was impressive to say the least, and honestly, I was heartbroken.  I’d come directly home from work to spend time with the Lord in bible study, and had been so excited to pick up the kids.  My plan was to spend the afternoon just losing myself in my them.  Instead, my baby is sobbing as we speak, and spending a little time in her room to think about good manners.

As I was gently closing her door, I felt the Spirit of the Lord whisper, “It hurts, doesn’t it?  I understand.”  How humbling.  Of course He does.  I have to wonder, how many times has He had huge plans to bless me, and I ruin it with my disobedience?  Or my ungrateful heart?  Oh, that hurts to think about.

As hard as it is for me to discipline my children, how much harder is it for our Heavenly Father to correct us?  In Luke 13:34-35 Jesus says, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers!  How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.  And now look, your house is left to you empty.  And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

Jerusalem was the City of God, the spiritual capital of the nation for the Jews.  And the very people Jesus came to save, God’s chosen people, rejected Him. He wanted to pour forth every blessing in Heaven on them, and they turned away.

I’d like nothing more than to shower my children with everything they could ever ask for, but I love them too much for that.  I love them enough to mold them and shape into the people that I know they can be…even when it breaks my heart to do it!  I want them to be loving, gracious, kind, merciful, productive members of society.  I want them to love the Lord their God with all their heart, soul and spirit.  I want to give them strong work ethics and thankful hearts.  I want to teach them to build their lives upon Jesus, the Rock.  I want to prepare them for the storms I know life will bring.  I want them to write the Word of God on their hearts.  I want the same things for them that God wants for us.

He could just answer our every prayer with a “yes,” but then would we ever bother to get to know Him?  Would we value anything if we never had to work for it?

In my opinion, and it is just my opinion, the one thing the Lord desires from us more than anything else is our love.  He gave us free will hoping that we would choose Him, knowing that some would not.  His heart’s desire is a relationship with you.  David, the psalmist wrote, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’  And my heart responds, ‘LORD, I am coming.’”(Psalm 27:8)  Could you imagine the pain of your child rejecting you?  After all the sleepless nights you spent, all the diapers you changed, all the sacrifices you made…that would shatter me.  Absolutely shatter me.

It’s so funny…all of this from a cookie.  But that’s how God talks to me.  He also told me to tell you this.  No matter what we do, no matter how many “cookies” we reject, or blessings we miss, our God is the God of second chances.  My sweet, sweet Caitlyn just wept, sobbing, “Mommy, I’m so sorry!  I’m so sorry!”  Oh, how that broke my heart!  I have to tell you that she is a just a darling child, so good-natured.  She’s young, and she’s learning.  I know she’s going to mess up, and I know I’m going to have to correct her.  I love her so much that I have already forgiven her for anything and everything she’ll ever do.  There is nothing either of my children could do that would stop me from loving them.  The Holy Spirit whispers to me the same words that Paul penned so long ago…”And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from His love.  Death can’t, and life can’t.  The angels can’t, and the demons can’t.  Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can’t keep God’s love away.  Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)  I so hope it’s not disrespectful to say it, but I think I know just how God feels.

PS….Yes, that is a picture of the cookie.  I dug it out of the trash just to take a picture!