Child Of God, You Will Learn

I just cannot tell you how often being a parent, I feel like I’m parenting myself!

I see my attitudes towards my parents in the way my children behave. Though it’s a completely different context and they are genuinely very different people to me (for starters I was never the daughter!) it is amazing how similar certain traits and aspects have been.

My Dad was the person who administered most of the discipline when I grew up, and by that I don’t always mean the use of the belt to administer discipline.  I know people get edgy about stuff like that now, and I’m sure in some cases it was child abuse.  What I know was that I have no recollection of my Dad using it in that way – it wasn’t done in anger or aggression, and there was always conversation that couched it.

Often in the conversation I would apply my brain to working out why it was unfair to have whatever means of discipline imposed on me.  Sometimes I was foolish enough to resist my Dad’s explanations and maintain my position of rightness.  After all, I was right and this was unfair.  Some exasperated parent might have lashed out at this act of childish foolish.  My Dad, with a wisdom and patience that reflected the Spirit of God in him, would merely turn and look kindly at me and softly say these words.

You’ll learn, son.

That was the killer in the conversation, because I knew there was no getting around that.  For starters just because I would learn, there was no indication of the method by which I would learn.  As well as that as far as I was concerned there was nothing to learn, as I’d already argued myself into being correct.

For all that, my Dad’s position would not budge as he kindly and persistently maintained the same song.  He certainly knew he didn’t have to teach me.  He knew there was a better teacher who would do that job for him.  Teaching would not at all be about words being passed around in lecture fashion.  No sir.  This teaching would leave the necessary imprint, for this teaching would come from God Himself and would be through life’s circumstances that would leave me in no doubt, that I had been taught, and I really learnt.

As I looked into his eyes as a seven year old all the way up to being a 17 year old holding my own position on things, he maintained the line.  Behind that was an amazing faith I would never even begin to grasp and appreciate until I would be confronted with the verbal dexterity and emotional whirlwind that is my precious firstborn child.

Her arguments were sufficiently persuasive in her own mind.  She was thoroughly convinced of its merits and would not acknowledge any alternative to her argument.  Once the conversation had concluded and she was the victim of Dryden Justice, she would moan and bewail the unfairness  of it all.

Her behaviour was such that it would  be understandable to become exasperated at it.  Yet, only by the grace of God and the wisdom that came with experience with a faith in God that I cling onto because it is a greater authority than anything else I have, I would turn to her and offer the kindest look I had available and share with her that special phrase.

You will learn, my dear daughter.

On the faith journey it can be sometimes infuriating to come across people who have in their own minds justified and legitimised their apathy to the Kingdom agenda, their lukewarmness to life outside the ‘church walls’ and their hostility to a world  in which they are called to show God’s love.  It can be frustrating to comprehend how so called children of God can behave in such a way.

Before I get too judgemental, though, God graciously shares areas in my life that have also fallen way short of the life Jesus exemplified.  He shows the stubborn marks that His love and mercy are slowly erasing despite my resistance at times.

He shows me these things and says that I try and refuse His love by sticking to my own way.  As His child though, saved and redeemed by the blood of His Son, I am no longer my own.  I am His child.  He has a vested interest in me, because His name resides in me, even as His Spirit enables, equips and empowers me.  He will not leave me alone, He has designed the paths of righteousness in such a way that even accommodates for my foolishness and stubbornness.

That means that however far I stray, He won’t leave me alone.  And however much I complain about the unfairness of it all, He turns around and gives me a look of grace, peace, compassion and kindness and simply says,

Child of God, you will learn.

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

dmcd