I love my son!

The first day you meet your child, his future seems unlimited. Endless opportunities, infinite possibilities. He is simply a young bundle of potential, waiting to be nurtured. His future simply needing to be tweaked, encouraged and loved into existence.

Then, he grows a little. Now, a strong-willed, emotional 3-year old, he is asserting his own identity, his own will, his own ideas. Sometimes, these ideas are wonderful. Ideas like loving mommy and daddy, wanting to play, explore, learn. Other times, he prefers destructive behaviour. Last night, it was a refusal to get dressed after his bath.

For two hours, Mommy and Daddy pleaded, threatened, forced, gave up, loved, and finally coerced him into clothes. It was mommy who was finally successful. Well done mommy! he came upstairs to say sorry to me, and promptly…coughed.

This morning, apparently, he is sick, can’t go to school (K1 starts at 3 years old in this country) and is feeling sorry for himself.

I ask myself. What is going on? I know we need to deal with rebellion, independence, and both positive and negative emotions inside this little boy, but how can he so adamantly fight to evade the clothes, and make himself sick?

I guess all I can do is recognise that he is still just a little 3-year old, who will make many, many more bad decisions. My role will be, at times, to force him to comply with good behaviour, and at times to guide him gently to the right decision.  And always to love him in the good, and in the bad!

It is difficult not to become angry, or even frustrated by his bad decisions. He will suffer the consequences of bad choices. I just pray that over time, he will come to realise that you always gain the reward of your investment – whether good or bad!

Lord, help me to show my son, every day, how much I love him. I have plans for him, for his future good. Help me, Lord, to guide him to be all you have called him to be.