Humbled by a Child

Earlier today Cael came running in the house from the backyard to tell me Noble was talking with strangers over the fence. Noble was called in & talked to about taking care in talking with strangers & allowed back out to play.

Very soon after Cael ran back in & confessed to talking with the same strangers over the fence. Immediately I chastised him for doing what his younger brother had just gotten in trouble for doing and told him he had to remain inside instead of going back out to play. What was he thinking? However God quietly prompted me to ask him what he talked to the boys over the fence about.

"What did you say to them Cael?" Cael, who was silent through my hasty reprimanding paused before speaking, "I asked them if they knew why we celebrated Easter." I felt instantly ashamed of myself as he continued, "They said it was because God died and I told them it was good that they knew that... I was thinking about what you said about how we needed to tell people about Jesus so I wanted to ask them. Can I go back out to play?"

Instantly humbled, I answered quietly, "Yes, of course you can Cael."

All week I had been reading the Bible to the children around the table, (which was more like yelling over all the noise of the young ones,) talking about the Lord giving His life as a perfect sacrifice on the cross for our sins and the joy of His resurrection because we have hope for eternity with Him. We had talked about the parable of the 10 virgins and how 5 of them weren't ready when the Bridegroom came. I related how Jesus was returning soon and we needed to be ready: watching, praying, and sharing Christ's love with others until He came. Every day as we talked, though, there were frequent interruptions (as there are with young children) and I really wondered if the message was sinking in. It's so ironic how God uses our children to humble us and teach us when we think we're teaching them!

Cael, who tends to be one of our more challenging children at times, (frequently coming up with ideas of things he shouldn't be doing and rarely taking "no" for an answer,) put me to shame with his soft heart & words of wisdom and truth. How often have I prayed for him to grow into a young man like that?

*Sigh!* I'm so grateful that God is so patient with me in my frequent failures as a mother (and a wife), so full of grace and love, gently admonishing me (even sometimes through my children)! Lord help me to be a model of your love to my family! Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and much slower to become angry! (James 1:19)