This morning I was struck by the fatigue that had already set in while I was trying to get my oldest out the door. You see, he is a "lid pusher." My definition: A Lid-pusher is someone who, if placed in a tupperware bowl, would continue to jump and try to push the lid off rather than sit down and accept that they are stuck inside a bowl. As a parent, I know that my responsibility is to help harness the gifts that God has granted to my oldest son so that he might use them for good. But let me tell you, sometimes, it's exhausting. I mean, we battled everything; breakfast (mind you, HE requested the scrambled eggs!,) picture day attire and finally, what his hair was going to look like before he exited the door at 8:06 this morning.
Since I'm not asking for advice, those of you ready to dole out the "choose your battles" advice, you can keep it in. Because truth is, I already do! I don't care if his clothes are "weather correct," if he decides to eat vitamins with breakfast or dinner or even how many times he wants to wear that jacket before its washed! So trust you me, you wanna rock that t-shirt with those pair of shorts, go for it! Oh yeah, five shades of blue in your outfit, plaids and stripes? You bet. Quite frankly, I don't have the time or energy...and its your potential shark waters at school, not mine.
So as not to run the risk of having child protective services knock on my door, lets circle back. Some things are NOT negotiable. And today, what shirt you wear and your hair style, on picture day, was not negotiable. I'm not writing a check only to send Grandma and Grandpa a picture of my son resembling Alfalfa.
Isn't it funny what specific battles we try and win with people? I find it fascinating to do life with other parents and observe what their "control buttons" are. Manners? Attire? Daily routines? What drives us to prioritize what we kick and scream over, discipline over, shake our fists over... or pray over?
I was reading about Jesus's last supper with his disciples and while most of us know that this was to be his last time "teaching" and "advising" his disciples, it struck me smack upside the head at what his last set of "instructions" were. Love one another. (John 13:34)
What I love about Jesus is that while he didn't scream, shake a fist, or threaten to take the Wii away if a instruction was not followed; nor did he teach or instruct with some back door option of "well, I'm just throwing out some suggestions, pick which ones work for you." Oh no, he was pretty straight forward about the guidance he gave his disciples. When I read that, it really made me think, "Wow... so loving one another isn't really an option...it's a mandate." It's the "you WILL have combed-down hair on picture day" battles. He goes on to say that it is by loving one another that He will know his disciples.
Fast forward 2011 years. If you believe that there is a God... hes still asking you to love one another. Not just the easy ones... no, one another... as in... all! Yep..the one who flipped you off for driving 65 in the carpool lane. The one who pulled out 73 coupons in the grocery store when you were late to begin with. The co-worker who surfs the net all day long and makes more than you and oh yes, the person who gave you the dirty look because your child threw a fit in the Red Robin. (And for goodness sakes, who thinks Red Robin is a quiet restaurant to begin with????) We are to love them. Why? Because He asked us to. Why we gotta do this? (Just pretending to be my 5 year old for a moment.) Because He loved us first.
You know what is going to happen if you adopt the "love isn't an option" attitude? You're going to rock the world. You're going to show patience to that super-couponer and know that God will make up the time that you lost waiting for the checker to scan through her 72 boxes of cereal. You are going to prove the cranky couple at Red Robin wrong because you are going to stare right back with a big smile... and the love will shine through your eyes when you look at them...and they will notice...that something is different about you. I bet if you are consistent at loving every person you come into contact with, you are going to genuinely brighten someone's day; you may be the catalyst to improving the morale at your office, at your book club, in the Starbucks parking lot (which may, in of itself, start a revolution!) Try it... and let me know what what happens!
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