Thursday, January 12, 2012

you're not the boss of me!

ugh. How many times in a day do we, as parents, hear that sentence. Or maybe you did when your kids were little. Or maybe you're cringing at the thought of your little prince or princess spewing such ugliness. But it's inevitable. And it seems like the younger ones really want the control. Of their toys. Their clothing choices. What they want to do {or not do}. What happy meal options they'll get. Heaven forbid a friend tries to make a suggestion about what Barbie should do on her night out! One inclination other than that which they want and that peaceful playtime erupts into "No! You're not the boss of me!" They want as much control over their little worlds as possible - once they know there are choices that can be made.

I stood in the kitchen this snowy afternoon whipping up something fabulous, listening to the kids banter back and forth

"Yeah, well, only my Mom is the boss of me."
"Yeah! You're not the boss of me, only my mom is."
"You're not the boss of God."
"No, you're not the boss of God."

When did we get to the point of bossing Him around I wonder? And then it hit me {like most of these random blog posts do} that as an adult I still do that. Not audibly. Not quite with so much flair. But I still like to dig my heels in, in an effort to regain control. I still try to mute that voice in my heart telling me to take the 10 minutes as a quiet time instead of watching T.V. Am I not like the kids when I do that? It's the same thing as looking up and saying, "NO! I won't do that. You're not the boss of me!" eek. That was an eye opener.

I guess the next time I hear the conversation turn towards a battle of wills, I won't be so quick to misunderstand why they keep trying to be the "boss". I know why. I understand. I want to be the boss too. {laugh all you want mom & sisters} But fortunately, I have a Boss who can make MUCH better choices than I would ever make, and only has my best interest in mind. I suppose I should try and relinquish control, and be ready to do and go where He leads. And that is what I will teach my children. That being open to what God has in store for your life is far more glorious than trying to be the boss.

1 comment:

Terry said...

Yes, this did make me laugh and you know why it did. But it's also true for all of us. We should all be embarrassed by even the thought that we COULD be in control! Unfortunately, that doesn't stop most of us from trying on an almost daily basis. Thanks for the reminder of who is REALLY in control. :) Love, Mom