Lessons in Parenting

Being a parent has taught me many things about the Father Heart of God. It amazes me how God uses my children to teach me about Him.

Yesterday, I was feeding Joseph lunch with my right hand while holding Joy-Anne on my lap with my left arm. A short while later, my mother came to carry Joy-Anne and as she was carried away, Joy-Anne reached out and grabbed the piece of keropok that was in Joseph's hand.

"Heyyyyyy!!!!!!", Joseph shouted.

"Arrrrhhhhhhhhhhhgggghhhh!!!! Joy-Anne took my keropokkkkkkk!!!!"

I told him to calm down and I would give him another piece.

But he wanted it back so Joy-Anne handed the saliva-soaked piece of keropok to him. He took it and then threw it on the floor.

I was certainly not happy with his attitude and made him apologize to Joy-Anne.

Later, as I was putting him to bed for his afternoon nap, I had a talk with him.

Mama : Joseph, do you know what Jesus teaches us in the Bible?

Joe : Huh?

Mama : Jesus said that if someone slaps you on the right cheek, you should turn your left cheek for the fellow to slap too.

(Joe looks at me with a stunned look)

Mama : And if someone takes your shirt, you should give him your shoe as well.

Joe : What????!!! Then I will have no shirt and no shoe!

Mama : Then God can bless you with new ones.

Joe is still stunned.

Mama : And if someone takes your keropok, you give him your chicken nugget as well.

Joe : That's not fair! (now he's really upset)

Mama : When Joy-Anne takes your keropok, you let her have it. Then I can give you a new piece.

Joe : But I want my keropok.

Mama : Do you want back the piece of keropok that has Joy-Anne's saliva or do you want a new crispy piece of keropok?

Joe : (thinks for a while then answers with a sad face and sobbing) ...the new crispy piece.

Mama : So can you let Joy-Anne have the keropok if she grabs it from you?

Joe turns the other side, hides his head under his Barney bolster and says "I'm really tired".

So young and yet he knows how to avoid the subject.

I left it at that and when he woke up later in the evening, I continued my talk with him.

This time, it ended like this....

Mama : So if Joy-Anne takes your keropok, what do you do?

Joe : I give her chicken nugget. And then can ask Ah Mah to make more keropok. And if there's no more flour and prawn, we can go to the market to buy some more.

Even with this incident, God reminded me that many times, we hold on so tightly to the things we have that He can't bless us with more. I've to learn to let go and let God work!