Who Wears Shorts in the Winter?

This winter I feel like all I did was fight with my son about wearing shorts to school (ummm, you remember this winter; the one that is still kinda hanging around,and is one of the coldest on record)!  He was always trying to persuade me to come to his side.  He would say things like, he didn’t even go outside during the day.  Everyone else in his class was wearing shorts!  And my favorite; the school is really, really hot during the winter! The list went on and on.  And I kept saying no.  Over and over, I kept saying no!  I said no, because I knew the forecast.  I said no, because I didn’t want him to get frostbite.  I could see the bigger picture and he was only seeing what everyone else was doing.

This made me think; is this how I deal with God?  When he wants me to change my mind, do I argue with him?  Am I so convinced that my way is the best way that I won’t even hear what he has to say?  Do I get upset with Him whenever He wants me to do something contrary to what I think would be the best?

I’ll admit it, I don’t like it when I don’t get my way!  Sometimes, I remind myself of Jonah.  You know the guy from the belly of the fish.  The guy that ran and yelled at God when He changed His mind about destroying Nineveh.  The guy that actually responded to God’s; Do you do well to be angry? (Jonah 4:4) by leaving!  That’s right, he just walked away without saying a word, from the Most High God!  Oh, wait he also tells God that he angry enough to die (verse 9)!

And you know what?  I’ve said worse.  And you know what?  He loves me anyway.

Back to  Jaden…..

So, one day I didn’t argue.  He came downstairs in shorts and I didn’t send him back up to change.  I let him wear the shorts.  Guess what?  He never did that again!  He was FROZEN!  It took all my self control to keep from saying I TOLD YOU SO!

Which made me think of all the times I have forced my own way only to find out it was a not such a great idea!  So, instead of reminding him that I was right; I turned the seat warmer on for him when he got in the van!

Like Jaden, I don’t always see the bigger picture.   Sometimes, it takes me waiting out in the cold to realize that God has my best interest at heart.  Oh, my word! He could say I TOLD YOU SO many, many times!  Instead, He just wraps His arms around me and warms me up!