stumblingtoholiness

Shrieking and screaming was coming from the couch. I looked over to see ztwins hitting each other and hitting their sister. Now as far as brawls go, this wasn’t really that bad. Mostly noise, and not really any force in most of the blows, but still, a bad situation.

So I walked over to the couch and ordered all to cease and desist. All 3 children immediately assaulted me with a barrage of “But, he, she!” To which I replied “None of you have permission to speak. I don’t care what your excuses are. You are not allowed to hit each other. Your sister is 2. She is not allowed to hit you either, but when you hit her back you are only teaching her that it is ok.” We then had a lengthy conversation about how Jesus did not repay our bad with bad, but instead treated us with mercy and kindness. We talked about what he meant when He said “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” (Matthew 25:40 ESV) So when they hit their little sister, it is like they are hitting Jesus. But the good side of that is that when they treat her and one another with love and kindness, they are doing the same to Christ.

Of course, we want those moments to shine with light from heaven and see halos form and gleam over our children. And though I was trying to let love and patience, sorrow for their sin, but joy in the hope offered come through in my manner and tone, I could see it was time to wrap the conversation up as their eyes were wandering to the walls. I reminded zgirl again that it is not ok to hit people, and went off to do some work on the computer (read-check Facebook and try to organize a playdate to get these stir crazy hoodlums out of the house).

A few minutes later I heard giggling coming from behind me, with ztwins both exclaiming, “Mommy, Mommy!” as they were gasping for breath. I looked back at them and they were a tangle of writhing limbs. Finally one of them was able to gasp “If I tickle my brother, is it like I’m tickling Jesus?!” And I sighed, and chuckled at the same time. “I guess so.”

© stumblingtoholiness.com, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to stumblingtoholiness.com with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.