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Thursday, July 21, 2011

...But I'm Sure Paul Did NOT have 3 Little Kids

3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us,[c] and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.. 2 Corinthians 6:3-10

So, the other morning, I woke up after having only 5 hours of interrupted sleep. I nearly threw my phone across the room when the alarm went off. I sleepily walked to the bathroom and squeezed some Visine into my tired bloodshot eyes and proceeded to get ready for work. I knew this was going to be a bad morning...
The baby woke up before I had a chance to finish getting ready, then Noah woke up and decided that it was going to a be a whining-for-everything type day, and Maia chose to have a throw-a-tantrum-because-I-can't-call-the-shots type day. Don't they know how tired I am? As the morning went on, I got more and more irritated and mean. I think I bit everyone's head off including Ricky's (I don't think he did anything but I was on a roll so I got mad at him for pouring the milk too slowly or something).

Then, as I drove to work with my screaming baby, my whiny preschooler, and my pouty toddler. This passage in 2 Corinthians came to mind. God was speaking to me. And, all I could do was argue..."But God, Paul did NOT have 3 little kids that drove him crazy after not getting any sleep! I know that he says that I am to be a minister of God and an example to everyone, but did he have to deal with a screaming baby and a preschooler who whines for EVERYTHING, and a tantrum throwing out-of-control toddler?...Yes, I understand that he was beaten and imprisoned and starving and sleepless, but...but...but...

Yup, there I was arguing with God about how I should be excused from my behavior because Paul didn't have 3 little kids to deal with after a sleepless night. He was only beaten, starved, and imprisoned.

Sometimes, I wonder how God puts up with me and my crazy rants! But, I am so thankful that He is patient with me and loves me anyways.

1 comment:

hotmama2u said...

Oh how many days start like that...today is one of them! It seems when I really try to follow this scripture the babies are exceptionally bad. Its the Enemy I tell you LOL. Wait, is it wrong to say the Enemy works thru two year olds?