Try and reason with a 2-year old, I dare ya! *wink wink*

Have you ever tried to reason with a 2-year old---particularly a strong willed one? One that is completely, totally, and absolutely convinced she is correct in her 2-year old reasoning skills? If you haven't, please find a nearby 2-year old, and for the sake of experimentation, give it a try.  I guarantee you will emerge from the experience not only amazed at the fortitude and boldness that little one presents, but will probably find a bit of humor in the situation.

Last week my darling little girl begged to go outside as the weather was warming up. I happily agreed, as some fresh air sounded pretty good. I had a bouncy seat out in the barn ready for Eli, and Deborah was ready to help me with some afternoon chores. It sounded like a great plan. I told Deborah to go put her boots on, so we could head outside.  As I'm preparing Eli for our outdoor adventure, Deborah comes in with both socks and both boots carefully on her hands, smiling at her accomplishment. In fact I was pretty amazed she was capable of getting both socks and shoes carefully over her hands without help. I laughed, and said, "Sweetie, your shoes need to go on your feet." I was quickly met with an very objectionable, "NO!" I knew this was about to become a meltdown trigger. Why? She had worn shoes on her feet hundreds of times before and knew this was a requirement for walking out of the house---especially when going to the barn. But she was absolutely convinced, in this moment, her shoes looked much better on her hands. Never mind the fact that she couldn't do anything with her hands occupied, and there stood a gravel driveway in between the front door and the barn. I'm certain if I had let her walk outside with those boots on her hands, she would have painfully walked over the entirety of the gravel driveway without fuss--- but as I tried removing her boots from her hands, she had an absolute fit. Tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her face, and she threw herself onto the floor in a dramatic display of injustice. Oh, how awful I must be, LOL ;)

Photo Credit: lifestyle.inquirer.net

I honestly laughed. I mean think about it----how completely ridiculous is this notion? It makes no sense. This is, however, one of the many moments that we are called to correct our child as parents. She is two---she doesn't think 10 seconds ahead of where she currently exists in time. She didn't think about the gravel driveway, or the many different hazards that exist in a barn that can hurt little feet. It never occurred to her that she wouldn't be able to accomplish anything with boots covering her hands. Perhaps the average child in this circumstance (if allowed to go outside without boots on) would realize after walking barefoot on painful rocks, that this probably wasn't a good idea and change her mind.  My child----nope.  She is very assuredly, a strong-willed child. I'm convinced she would walk across a pile of broken glass barefoot, and look me straight in the eye, just to convince me she is right.  Yes----at 2! Some might say---'Oh my, watch out for those teenage years!' Perhaps in some ways they are right, but one thing about strong willed kids (I know, I am one) is that they stick to what they were raised to believe.  I'm convinced if I instill values in her now, she will STRONGLY stick to those as she gets older.  Goodness knows we will have our share of struggles, I'm certain, but I absolutely know that if Nick and I instill our values in her now, she will stick with it---and no one in this wide world will be able to tell her different.

Yet, the point I'm making is that 2-year olds are very confident. They think they know what is best, and want to do things their way.  It's part of the great adventure of becoming independent, and I believe is just part of the usual maturing cycle of growth.  Even though she's two and a half, there are moments when I see a little young lady emerging. This maturing takes a lifetime, and takes different forms. At 27 I'm convinced I'm far from "mature".  I know better than my 2-year old, but I still don't make every correct decision in this world.

Now, think about this.  We are God's children. We call him Father. He created us, cares for us, gently leads us, and helps us throughout the day. Much like we help our own children. Perhaps this is a picture of how God sees us. We may think we 'have it all together' and 'know it all', but in the end we really aren't that different than that unreasonable 2-year old.  We don't know what God knows---he is sovereign. We don't understand why things happen the way they do sometimes---and we throw fits. Maybe we didn't get that raise at work we've worked so hard for, or hired for a job we specifically spent 4 years in school to get? Maybe you've lost a baby in miscarriage, and you have no good explanation why, or find out you've been diagnosed with a terminal illness? Maybe you're 30 and single, desiring for a spouse and family but find yourself still single? I don't have answers to these difficult situations. Why? Because I'm not God. I'm in the same boat you all are in---we are God's children, and sometimes we just simply don't know why our Father allows us grief, pain, loss, or illness. However, I do KNOW God has a purpose for that pain. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  There is a reason why he leads us through the storms he does.  Perhaps it's the testimony we're supposed to give, or maybe someone else is weathering a storm like ours that we can help them face together.  In some cases I don't think we'll know the answer to "why" until we see God face to face one day. Part of maturing as Christians is accepting this, and simply asking God to lead us, protect us, and that HIS will be done in these painful circumstances---and trusting God with the outcome. That doesn't mean we won't have times of hurt, anguish, or even question God. It means that we learn to continually turn towards God no matter what road we're asked to walk. Each of our life stories are different, but we all certainly have had different difficult paths presented to us.  The difference in those that triumph through trials, and those that fall? God. Yep, plain and simple.  There are circumstances in this life that we cannot handle alone as humans.  Some turn to alcohol or drugs to numb the pain, others turn to additions like pornography, or are obsessive about having the best car, the most up-to-date smart phone, the fanciest house, or the greatest new trendy wardrobe. And still others wallow in self pity; distraught, depressed, and upset questioning why this happened to them, and still choosing not to follow God.

God can renew all things, and if you call upon him, he will bring you through any storm, AND good will come from it. I know there are some I have faced that the Lord has brought me through that I probably wouldn't be here if it weren't for my faith in him. I see such a need and aching  in our culture and our world to stop trying to fill that need with "stuff" and start filling it with God. Because when we begin to act like that unreasonable 2-year old sometimes, we need to remember Father always knows best!

Psalm 28:7
"The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him"