Miles enjoys bath time. He has almost always loved it...the toys, the splashing, the (as he calls it) 'swimming.' I think there was a phase during his baby years when he just didn't want to get in the bathtub for some reason, but it didn't last long. I wish I got more enjoyment out of bathing him, but more and more it is just work.
For one thing, bath time comes at the end of the day and right before bedtime. This generally means that, unless I have had some sort of caffeinated beverage (and lately I am only having one cup of coffee in the morning), I am more ready for Miles to go to bed than he will ever be. In other words, I am pooped.
Secondly, I think Miles sees his bath time as a sort of job. As in, 'this is what I do, this is very important to me.' And here we come demanding that he stop playing and splashing for a minute so we can attempt to get him squeaky-clean. Basically we're getting in his way. And frankly, if I just didn't care if my kid was dirty and stinky I would be happy to let him play in the tub for a while and then put him to bed.
Now, not to say that my son becomes belligerent and fights me every step of the way. Not at all. It's just that he's so involved in the splashing and the pretending that he is not listening when I say, "Okay, lean your head back" and I find myself saying that or "Be still!" one hundred times. And I don't like repeating myself...especially at the end of the day. But last night, just as I got started on scrubbing Miles' hair and feeling that irritation of 'here we go again,' an illustration popped into my mind that got me thinking.
As a Christian, I know that God is always trying to work on me -- to 'create in me a clean heart' (Psalm 51:10). And what am I doing all the while? Well, I'm very busy doing what I do, the everyday things of life...some of these things are important, some not so important. But of course all of it seems important to me. God tries to get my attention in different ways, and how many times has he had to repeat himself because I'm not listening to him? If I would just 'be still and know that he is God' (Psalm 46:10) there is so much more work he could do on my heart!
That has stuck with me throughout today and I just wanted to share it with you.
For one thing, bath time comes at the end of the day and right before bedtime. This generally means that, unless I have had some sort of caffeinated beverage (and lately I am only having one cup of coffee in the morning), I am more ready for Miles to go to bed than he will ever be. In other words, I am pooped.
Secondly, I think Miles sees his bath time as a sort of job. As in, 'this is what I do, this is very important to me.' And here we come demanding that he stop playing and splashing for a minute so we can attempt to get him squeaky-clean. Basically we're getting in his way. And frankly, if I just didn't care if my kid was dirty and stinky I would be happy to let him play in the tub for a while and then put him to bed.
Now, not to say that my son becomes belligerent and fights me every step of the way. Not at all. It's just that he's so involved in the splashing and the pretending that he is not listening when I say, "Okay, lean your head back" and I find myself saying that or "Be still!" one hundred times. And I don't like repeating myself...especially at the end of the day. But last night, just as I got started on scrubbing Miles' hair and feeling that irritation of 'here we go again,' an illustration popped into my mind that got me thinking.
As a Christian, I know that God is always trying to work on me -- to 'create in me a clean heart' (Psalm 51:10). And what am I doing all the while? Well, I'm very busy doing what I do, the everyday things of life...some of these things are important, some not so important. But of course all of it seems important to me. God tries to get my attention in different ways, and how many times has he had to repeat himself because I'm not listening to him? If I would just 'be still and know that he is God' (Psalm 46:10) there is so much more work he could do on my heart!
That has stuck with me throughout today and I just wanted to share it with you.
2 comments:
WOW!! This is so true. Very poetic. I love it.
Thanks Joy! I don't think it would have been as poetic if I had tried to come up with it, lol!
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