Love covers a multitude of sins. That was the best advice I ever got from all of my baby showers and I think the best advice I've been given as I try diligently to raise my children for God's glory and His kingdom. If I didn't believe that truth, I think I would still be angry with the events that unfolded in the Fleming home about 30 minutes ago.
We are smack dab in the middle of potty training. (Yes, it's been a long trip!) We have had some breaking points recently and it seems to be making more sense to Ella Grace. So I have been encouraged for the past week or so. Our routine has been to sit on the potty first thing and read books.. Lots of books until she is done with the books or she has gone in the potty. After I put on big girl pants while she eats and we try again right after eating. (I figured we will tackle one segment of the day like morning, then before and after nap, etc) It's been working.
Today after we ate, I actually prayed that God would give me insight to when she needed to try again and not even a minute after I prayed-- literally RIGHT before I was going to sit her on it again...."Mom, I pooped in my big girl pants. I want to flush it." So we went to the bathroom, flushed it and before I could grab the wipes to get her clean, she dashed out the door. "Ella Grace, come to mama so I can wipe you." No answer. "Obey mom." Still nowhere to be seen. Not in her room, not in our room, not in Miriam's room..... There! Caught on top of our couch sitting with poop all over everything- the floor, the couch, herself...... I cleaned her up and then spanked her for running away and not obeying and then the two of us cleaned up the couch and everything else that had been covered in poop.
As we were cleaning I thought of how God cleans us up and loves us, loves us, and loves us some more-- but we still have to obey. I explained to EG that if she would have obeyed the first time there would have been no mess. I confessed my anger to God and then to her. We were both "all clean" and ready for the day.
She ran to her toy box and said, "I want to play with Jesus right now." I pulled out her manger scene and smiled as I heard her say to baby Jesus, "I love You” and then she kissed Him “night night.” Love covers a multitude of sins, right?
1 comment:
What a sweet story kelly. Love does conver a multitude and I am so thankful for it!!
(sorry-I had to giggle jsut a tiny bit too!!!) =)
I know that this phase of child rearing seems so hard right now, but you are doing a great job, I promise you that one day you will look back at this story and laugh about it. You havn't really experienced motherhood until you have cleaned up poop off of a wall or furnature!!! ha ha :-) How humbling huh??
One of my boys went through a phase where they would take their diaper off at nap time if they pooped!! I wouldn't find the mess until I went to get him out of bed! Oh my, it was one of the nastiest phases of my mothering experience but I survived! I havn't cleaned up any poop in a while, so I am proof that nothing will last for ever! Ha!!!
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