Dec 07
30
Sweet & Sour
Posted by Stephen30
Tags: challenge, children, family, growing up, parenting, Sunday
We were invited out to lunch today by Pat & Ruth, friends from church. It’s always a treat to relax and not have to prepare a meal and clean up afterwards, especially at a kid-friendly home such as theirs. Today’s visit was all the more memorable because they had some gifts for the children (and a couple for the parents). They know our boys well, and the gifts were enthusiastically received. Happiness all around.
By then it was mid-afternoon. From then till dinnertime the boys are usually at their grumpiest. So we had children alternating between happy and sad, between elated and angry, between friendly and sullen. Back and forth. This is normal for that difficult period of the day, and it’s always a challenge to know how best to deal with it.
Some days it’s enough to make sure all three boys are separated, not getting in each other’s way. Some days one or more boys live in permanent detention, with 30-second episodes of freedom punctuating repeated lock-downs brought on by defiance, disobedience, or rage. Daniel flies off the handle if he doesn’t get his way. Joel is quietly disruptive, knowing exactly how to get everybody else riled up if he feels he’s been treated unfairly. Micah screeches at the top of his lungs if he’s not the center of attention.
And yet they’re wonderfully affectionate, happy, funny, enthusiastic, energetic kids. Some of the time. We love them despite their failings, but wish we could remove their sinful natures. Throw out the bad, keep the good. That’s something only God can do, and we pray daily for His transforming power in their lives. Some days the challenge is too much, and we despair of ever training the boys out of their bad behaviour. But we never lose hope of seeing them one day come to the cross in repentance, and receive life-changing forgiveness.
So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away-
