Max has been a wild one the past two days. This morning, he threw one of his Hot Wheels cars across the room and hit me in the eye with it. This sort of needless injury would undeniably create anger in almost any person. But what most bothered me about the situation is that I had just instructed him not to throw his toys. His response, being the little sinner he is, was to defy his direct instructions. This got me thinking of the conversation I had with my husband only a couple weeks ago concerning matters of the heart in regards to our children.
We spoke of how our children commit all different types of wrongdoings: being too rowdy and waking a sleeping person, breaking something after being asked to settle down, speaking in a harsh or unloving tone, or pushing one another. Some wrongdoing are merely that: a wrongdoing. Perhaps not considered a sin by God, but more an annoyance to the parent (such as a broken dish). Other times, these boys commit all-out, deliberate, contemplated sins. These sins come from a heart issue and they require true, loving, CALM discipline.
This car-chunking incident undeniably stemmed from a heart issue. A desire within this little boy to rebel, to do exactly what I told him not to do, and to do it (quite literally) in my face. What was my response? By some miracle (and only by God's great grace) was I able to calmly escort him to his room for timeout until I was able to sit down with him and discuss his sin. I took the car and promised that if he shows in the coming days that he has learned not to throw things and has learned to obey the commands he receives from me, then he will receive it back. However, I feel that this little car will be dust-laden and squeaky before it is moved from its current hiding place.
In the meantime, how cute is he learning his first letter?
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