When I hear young mommies and daddies talking about the
way their kids act when they get home from an extended stay at Grandma and
Grandpa's house, I have to laugh. I've been there! It doesn't take long for
kiddos to realize when the barbed wire is down. Out from under the
watchful eyes and alert ears of Mom and Dad, they revel in late bedtimes, candy
for breakfast (I exaggerate, of course...I hope!), and the visceral thrill of
saying "no."
I still remember the time we left our oldest, Hunter, with
my parents for a quick anniversary get-away. I called to check on him before
going into a movie to put my anxious heart at ease. My dad answered and told me
that he had taken Hunter to the mall for lunch. I smiled at the thought
of my one-year-old sitting up like a big boy at the food court, eating his
usual chicken nuggets and fruit cup. "He ate everything," my dad
chuckled, "a whole order of fries AND an ice-cream cone!"
Staying with grandparents is fun, but it doesn't take
long for kiddos to tire of the freedom that brings with it fuzzy little brains,
sticky cheeks, and a solid rock of guilt somewhere in their middle. They are
almost always (notice that I said "almost") ready for mom and dad to
come home, schedules, boundaries, and discipline in tow. Though they may buck
these things at first, I think that deep down, kids know that they feel better
when they get to bed on time, cut out the junk food, and use nice words.
I know I do!
I've been a Christian for almost thirty-six years now,
and I like to think I know a thing or two about being one. That's a real
problem because I tend to get puffed up and proud and don't spend time with God
like I should. Confident that I know
what's best, I test the boundaries fairly often, unaware that I have stepped
away from the Father.
Before I know it, I'm out of control, not in an
oops-I-just-robbed-a-bank way, but in a wow-I-shouldn't-have-said-that kind of
way or a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do kind of way. All I ever have to show
for my rogue moments are bad memories and a solid rock of guilt
in my chest. I think the worst part, though, is knowing that other people saw
me acting the fool. Embarrassing!
Apparently, I can't be trusted on my own. In fact, I’m positive that I am going to need
the Father's help every moment of every day for the rest of my life. Good thing He'll never leave me!
