It was a very frustrating morning...

I told ,my son Matthew to get his socks and shoes to be ready to go out the door for school....



Matthew needed in the bathroom to get his socks. I was in the bathroom. With the door locked. So he could not come in.When I come out of the bathroom, he is staring at the television. I tell him I am out of the bathroom now, go get your socks. He gets his socks. Cali and I are heading out the door. He says oh wait I need to put on my watch and get my lunch and do my taxes... ok maybe not the tax part but you get the idea... he still had other things to do...

so the morning ride to school included a lecture that entailed how he could have been spending his time after he discovered he couldn't get his socks by doing those other things that he wanted to do before going out the door. Mid-lecture he yells, "I knnnnnooowwww", in effect telling me to stifle the lecture... umm.. that went well... so I proceeded to tell him that obviously he did not know and he should accept the counsel of a person who has lived on this planet for 44 years as opposed to his 8 years of experience. I told him that the Bible talks about how only a fool does not accept the counsel of his elders. So then Matthew says you are calling me a fool... and then there is a whole tangent about that, presumably so as to turn my focus from the original topic. I told him that I wasn't calling him a fool but even if I were I could completely admit that at times I'm a fool because I don't take the counsel of people older than me all the time either.... nobody is perfect and everyone needs guidance...

Needless to say, we did not part well this morning and as I drove away wondering how do I parent such a stubborn hard headed child and I began thanking God for His patience with me and all of His stubborn children.

Thank You sweet Lord for putting up with my foolishness over the years... Thank You for Your unfailing grace. Please help me to lovingly parent my children as You lovingly parent me. Amen