Inward Renewal

In several posts now we’ve mentioned how the seasonal rains affect life here.  Electricity power outages are a lot more frequent for us in our area.  So, we’ve pulled out our candle supply and have everything ready to go so that we can see what we’re doing at the drop of a hat.  Ian is interested in the candle glow and we’ve caught him more than once approaching the candle to touch it.  When we reprimand him, he thinks it’s a game as you can see in the pictures below.

On rare occasions we’ll have a bag of marshmallows on hand.  Because Andrea made sweet potato souffle for Thanksgiving, we had a few left over.  Ian is in to marshmallows in a really big way!  So when he saw me opening up the cupboard he was sure that he wanted one – which I was more than delighted to do.  But I expect him to say “PLEASE” and “THANK YOU” when I give him something (which he is very accustomed to saying nowadays).  However, Ian had something else in mind.  With his hand trying to wrench the marshmallow out of my giving hand, he decided that he didn’t need to say “PLEASE”.  So things escalated between he and I…. I withdrew the marshmallow and sat down in the living room as if to say I was ready to bunker down for battle.  Ian of course followed me and started to pitch a fit. I laid the marshmallow down on the sofa and pleaded with him to repeat after me “PLEASE”.  He stood there reaching his hand out, acting as if he was going to take the marshmallow.  With his eyes glued on me, monitoring how I would respond to his defiance – he simply wouldn’t comply.  After flicking his little hand with my finger he turned his back to me and walked off with tears streaming down his face.  What would happen over the next few minutes seemed innocuous enough – but was still disobedience. A minute later he came back to the couch with his pacifier in his mouth.  I took it away from him because it was enabling and comforting his rebellious heart. Of course he turned his back to me again and and walked off with his lips quivering in distress.  This happened again and again in this fashion, with him: sucking on his toothbrush (item of comfort), clutching his ducky blanket (item of comfort), fetching Ireen (to plead his case for him) and finally bringing Andrea (his ultimate persuasive defence).  This whole episode was quite compelling and I felt like giving in to the little man.  But the real issue was his marshmallow disobedience and all these other things served as little wedges that kept him comfortable in the midst of his disobedience.  So, I held my position to the end.  Eventually Ian calmed down and came back to me and said “PLEASE” (pronounced peace in Ian language) and “THANK YOU” (pronounced do-do in Ian language).  It was exhilarating to see his heart of disobedience bend, so I ecstatically commended him and gave him the marshmallow.  I remained faithful to him this morning and he’s been happy ever since.  This all happened half an hour after I read the following passage in my devotional reading.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will show faithfulness to Jacob and steadfast love to Abraham, as you have sworn to our fathers from the days of old.                                     (Micah 7:18-20)