"He's Still Working on Me..."

It amazes me how much teaching children teaches me about God and my relationship to Him. Today was "one of those days." You know the kind I'm talking about-- those days when you can't wait till it's over. Today I had to discipline the kids (all of them) for disrespect and disobedience. Usually I would have handled that situation with an angry heart (after all, how DARE they inconvenience my life in this way?!), but today I saw evidence that God has been disciplining me and teaching me more about Him. I disciplined in love; I told them that they were really disobeying God and told them of the consequences of their actions. I told them what God says about their behavior. You could have heard a pin drop.

There was one little heart in that room, however, that was unmoved by that speech. He had decided that he was not going to do any schoolwork today and was being openly defiant. Another evidence that God is still working on me... instead of getting "mad" at him, all I could see was his little, lost, hurting soul that desperately needs Jesus. I gently tried to guide him to obedience. That failing, he sat there obstinately refusing to work.

How frustrating. Yet, when that stubborn little lost soul was ready to go home, God gave me the grace to put my arms around him and say, "You need to know that we love you." My mind told me that I HAD to say those words, but as I said them I realized how much I really meant them. I do love him... and all of them. Even in their disobedience.

Just like God loves me and is still working on me... even when I am disobedient.