God spoke to me today.
The clouds didn’t part. There was no clap of thunder, no voice from a burning bush.
It was no less profound.
The moment was ordinary, the kind that happens several times every day. The baby was sleeping in the swing, and I was sitting on the floor, playing dinosaurs with Grace, my 3-1/2-year-old.
The Lord chose the mama T-rex to convict my sinful heart of wrongdoing.
And convict, he did.
His words, through the mouth of my daughter and a plastic dinosaur, pierced me, making me realize how awful I’ve been.
He is a bad husband! the mother dinosaur lamented. He never does what I tell him to do!
“Who’s a bad husband?” my velociraptor asked Grace’s t-rex.
MY husband!, the t-rex responded. I tell him to vacuum the carpet; he doesn’t do it! I tell him to put the toys away; he doesn’t do it! What am I going to do with him?!? Grace’s arms flapped in exaggerated exasperation.
A shiver ran through my body.
Ouch.
My husband has done everything for our family since early November, when high blood pressure required me to spend my days lying down. After the baby was born, breastfeeding consumed my days and nights, and he continued to pick up the slack.
Only now am I beginning to help out around the house, cleaning and doing laundry in between holding and feeding and playing with the children.
I didn’t realize how hard I’d been on my doting husband.
It’s not that he has been quiet. He’s tried to tell me that I was being unreasonable. We’ve argued about it.
I didn’t believe him.
It took God speaking through the mouth of my sweet girl for me to understand.
I understand very clearly now.
Things are going to change at my house, starting today.
By Tara from Feels Like Home
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Wow! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! For being so open about a failing. For sharing how you were convicted to face that failing. This post was a blessing.
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Oh, my, Tara! Thank you so much for sharing this – it really hit home with me. I’ve been dealing with constant severe neck pain for over a year (finally found the cause and am having surgery next month – YIPPEE!) and my husband has taken over much of the household chores as well, so that I can keep working. And I’ve been a serious grump lately about all the things that have NOT been done. Today I’m going to thank him for all that he HAS done, and turn my attitude around 🙂
Amazing how God uses our children as the ultimate teaching tool. My two boys are the same ages as your two- this hits home! Thank you for your transparency.
Wow – God really does use our children to help us see our faults and check our loose tongues, right?! I was hit with my daughter posting something negative about her teacher on Facebook – an attitude I didn’t discourage in our verbal conversations when I should have. I made her take it off since so it wouldn’t foster the same attitude in other kids who already started commenting. My daughter and I are “friends” on Facebook and it’s going to be critical for me to keep checking – to make sure the things we let slip at home don’t become Facebook fodder. More importantly, it is convicting me NOT to let things “slip” at home.
Great post!
I love this soo much! I am often extremely nervous when our kids start playing “house” ’cause one never knows what is going to come out!
Thanks for sharing the honesty so beautifully, Tara. You are so appreciated!
Tara–I love this post–love that you’re listening with ears to hear what He’s saying.
Took a little trip over to your blog and found some other gems.
Thank you.
Lisa-Jo…I’m cracking up…I can totally relate to the fear of observing “house” 🙂
We just never know where those little reality checks will come from, do we? Great post!
Love your honesty and willingness to share how God spoke to you. Sometimes I hear my girls speak and I cringe because I know where the first “heard” the tone that laces their words.
I recently expressed interest in a movie that had a bit of a dark undertone. My oldest said, “I thought we were supposed to focus on what is pure, right and admirable.” Convicted….on.the.spot.!
Thanks for a great post.
So beautifully honest and piercing. I see the mirror of my sin in these seven children far more than I’d hope. Nothing more instantly convicting. Ouch – yes!
Blessings –
Teri
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