Choose This Day Whom You will Serve...

As Dave and I work hard with Meliya on this concept of choosing to serve God through her behavior, this thought occurs to me.  Have I chosen this day whom I will serve?  I realize that as we are teaching Meliya to actively choose whom she will serve, not on a day-by-day basis but on a minute-to-minute basis, that we as parents must actively make that choice as well.  I've recounted my day from getting up and getting ready, going through the daily grind on getting everyone fed and things cleaned up, discipline surprises, toy tornadoes, and nap time procrastination.  I have not had an actual thought about whom I am serving today.  You could say that my frustration through some of these things demonstrates I'm serving myself.  You could also say that doing so much for my children is serving them.  However, have I consciously made that decision on whom I will serve today?  Or, by passive indecision, have I decided? 

My actions and my attitude may not be riddled with ugliness but are they serving God?  If I haven't actively chosen to serve God, then what are my other choices?  One might say the world, others or self.  But are those truly options or excuses?  For me, I think the only options are God or Satan.  If we are not serving God, we are against Him.  This means as we coast through life looking for what we want or what is easy, Satan is benefiting from our distractions.  We can't focus on God's will or be used by Him if we aren't actively serving Him.  If by not actively pursuing God I am serving Satan with my wonder through my day mindset, then my passivity is making my choice for me.  So then, if my only choices are God or Satan, do I dare let passivity make my choice for me?  I would hope not.  For anyone who would sacrifice His only Son, a deity lowering Himself to become man, in order to give me the opportunity of life over death, He is worth serving.  Have you made your conscious choice today?

Screaming fits

As I sit here listening to my oldest, Meliya, throw a massive hissy fit because she's in time-out for wanting to do what she wants and not obeying us, my mind wanders to how we behave with God when we don't get our way.  In Meliya's case, she screams and kicks, shouting how "it's not fair!" and "I want to..."  I, as mom, think, "Too bad, it's not about what you want.  You are going to learn to obey and play nicely."

How many times has God placed me in a "time-out" in my life because I wanted what I wanted whether it was wanting my life to go this way, getting that, or having this?  Whatever the case may have been, it always seemed to start with an "I want..."  Has God been shaking His head at me letting me scream and kick thinking, "You will learn"  while I try my best to be stubborn? 

I let Meliya cool off and stew on her behavior before I allow her back with the family so that her behavior will change.  Sometimes that takes a long time because she's stubborn like her momma.  How many times has my waiting been extended because I was too stubborn to change?  How many times have I been put back in time-out because I tried to sneak out and cut it short as Meliya often does?  How many times do I fake the change just so that I can get out and return back to my world as Meliya sometimes does?

How am I supposed to expect my daughter to yield to my direction out of love, respect, and trust, if I can't do the same with my Father?  As I pray for a heart of openness and trust with Meliya, I must first be open and trust God.  Oh how parenting can be such a HUGE teaching tool for God in molding us adults into being better children of the Almighty God!