This girl.
Mason nor Hannah Kate experienced the terrible 2s either. As a matter of fact, their 2s were actually quite pleasant. Or what I can recall of them. But this one, this third time around . . . challenges me in ways I've never been challenged before! She's cuter than a button. She's spunky. She's loving. She's passionate. And she really is well behaved (most of the time) in public. Folks tell me all the time how impressed they are with her behavior. But did I mention that we. have. our. moments?!
It has gone from cool to hot and humid here in a matter of a day. I haven't yet been up in the attic to retrieve Hannah Kate's size 3T hand-me-downs for Ellie. I found three outfits in her drawer that are suitable for hot and humid so those have been on regular rotation until I make myself go up into the attic. And only one of those three outfits is pink. These days she wants to wear nothing but pink. So she wore that particular outfit, a hot pink shirt and a multi colored plaid skirt, four times last week and again today. Yes, I do laundry daily. Last week I did finally buy her a pair of sandals to wear for spring and summer. They are, of course, hot pink. So she wore those today, too.
She also decided this past weekend to potty like a big girl on a consistent basis. I guess she was finally tired of having to throw her panties in the garbage and wearing pull-ups. Last night she found the Frozen panties that I had hidden and insisted on wearing a pair to bed. So I let her. She woke up clean and dry and wanted to wear them to Bible study. When I let her do that a couple of weeks ago, she promptly wet her new panties while she was sitting in her carseat, which meant I had a hot mess to clean up when we got home. And Momma wasn't happy! So we had a rather serious conversation about wearing panties again and where we tee-tee and where we don't tee-tee. She promised she would be a big girl about the whole thing so I let her wear her Frozen panties to Bible study again today. She was so proud.
Before I took her to her class, she went to the potty. And as soon as she got in her class, she immediately started pulling her skirt down to show her teacher her Frozen panties. So I had a brief little chat with her about leaving her skirt on and also her sandals on. Because I know her. When I came back two and a half hours later to pick her up, she looked like a yard child. I could've died. She was wearing only her shirt and panties. No skirt. No shoes. It's okay to look like a yard child. When you're AT HOME. And at home she definitely was not.
So we had several more opportunities this afternoon to discuss obedience. And not just about the yard child incident either.
Last week we were in the midst of a similar discussion. I explained to her that the Bible says that God wants us to obey. She looked at me and said, "I learned obey in Bible study." And that she has! She has been studying the life of Moses, too, and her lessons every week for the past 25 weeks have focused on obedience. Doing what God says to do, going where God says to go. That was such a proud Mommy moment! I mean, my 2-year-old just acknowledged that she has been listening to her Bible stories, she has been learning her Bible stories and she can even put the Bible stories into context and application with her real life. So then I reminded her that the Bible is God's true Word, and God tells us in the Bible that He wants us to obey our mommies and daddies when they ask us to do something. She nodded and said, "Yes." And I smiled and patted myself on the back.
And since then, I've noticed a trend. Yesterday afternoon I heard Hannah Kate explaining to Ellie that Momma had already told her not to play in the water in the bathroom and that she needed to obey. Ellie responded, "Bible study." And every time during the past several days I have discussed obedience with her, she says, "Bible study." She did the same thing again this afternoon by reminding me that "I learn obey at Bible study."
But then the thought struck me tonight . . . I am beyond thrilled that my 2-year-old is learning her Bible stories and hymns. I am beyond thrilled that she is "hiding God's Word in her heart." But many times she is not putting into practice what she is learning. It's just head knowledge. And then I started thinking how often we as Christians do that. We KNOW what God's Word says. But do we always DO what God's Word says? Because KNOWING is not enough. It's in the DOING that our lives are transformed more into the likeness of Christ. And the more we study and know God's Word . . . well . . . what are we doing with that?
At the beginning of our Moses study way back in September, the Lord laid two verses on my heart (neither of which are from the life of Moses!). I knew then that He was up to something in my life. I knew then that I needed to listen and pay attention. I knew then that He was going to call me to something. And I have a choice. I can either obey. Or I can disobey.
Jesus talks about this knowing and doing. He tells a parable about a master who puts his manager in charge of his possessions and his household while he is gone (Luke 12:42-48). The manager knows what he is supposed to do. He knows what his master wants him to do. But when the master is gone for a really long time and delays his coming, the manager becomes complacent. He is no longer watchful, no longer expecting his master to return. And then he becomes disobedient. And Jesus says he will be held accountable. One of the verses that the Lord has given me during my study of the life of Moses these past few months is embedded in this parable.
" . . . For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required."
~Luke 12:48
What am I doing with what the Lord has given to me? And in light of what I have been given, what is the Lord calling me to? I already know the answer to that. But what is my response?
What is your response to what the Lord has called you to?
Will I . . . will you . . . obey?