repetition

Rainy days are great days for snuggling on the couch with a fuzzy blanket, a hot cup of tea and good mystery.  They are good days for staying in pajamas and watching movies.  They are also good days for cleaning my house.  The last thing I want to do on rainy days is travel. 

But rainy day I packed Jaden in the car and went to bible study with ladies from my church.  The speaker was teaching Psalm 49.  She had a lot of insight and a lot of things taught convicted me and encouraged me.  The speaker said that this particular psalm is split into two sections, and they are repetitions of each other.  Then she asked "How often do we expect others, and God, to extend grace to us when we need them to repeat something?"

Hm.  My answer was all the time.  I always expect others, especially God, to extend grace to me when I am in need of repetition.

Then the speaker asked, "How often do we stop and think that our children need that very same grace?  How often do we demand grace from others, but refuse to give it to our children?"

Wow.  That was like someone took a two by four and smacked me over the head with it.  I do that!  I get impatient with Jaden when I have to tell him four times to put his Lightning McQueen cars away, or to put his pajamas on, or whatever the case may be.  I sigh, I raise my voice, I use a tone that has no grace or compassion in it.  And all the while, I am expecting God to give me grace?  Yikes.

"My mouth shall speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall give understanding" ~Psalm 49:3

I want this to be true in me!  I want to teach Jaden with wisdom.  I want to guide him with understanding the ways he should go.  But most of all, I want to do this with grace and compassion and mercy.