Flapjacks and Faith

Somebody say PANCAKES FOR DINNER! Isn't this the best?! In the opinion of a five ingredient cookbook totin' mom like myself and the 3 and 7 year-old kids who can eat pancakes at any point of the day and LOVE THEM, these fluffy flapjacks save the day many, many times in my household (like they did today for dinner).

Child, Teach!

It was my 7 year-old's brief commitment to whining this evening that reminded me of what I'm about to say. See, he had his mind set on an after school snack because that's what he's used to when coming home each day. He eats a snack, does his homework, then waits for dinner. However, today I had a half-day at work (I'm a school teacher) and was able to get home and make the pancakes just before having to leave to pick him up from school. So, as far as he knew, he was going to have to wait the normal amount of time for dinner to be ready; therefore, he dreamed of his usual before-homework snack.

In the car on the way home from school, when he asked me if he could have his snack once we got home, I told him "no". And before I could decide if I wanted to give him the reason for my answer, he began to whine and moan. I then decided not to tell him about the pancakes.

Bigger than YOU

As more time passed today, I began to think on how we Christians do this to God when He says or does something that we don't like or agree with ... when His decisions and mindset don't tickle our have-it-all together fancies and when we've decided that He needs to rethink His time table. We whine and complain to people who haven't quite figured out how to tell us to shut up about it already, or we carry the victim/unjustly treated mentality around with us. Or we simply keep thinking about how things would work so much better if they were the way we saw fit for them to be ... not knowing what God's agenda is.

I once heard author and speaker Henry Blackaby say that we as Christians talk about "God's will for my life." Mr. Blackaby went on to say that there's JUST God's will, and how we fit into it is what we should make our business. He stressed that living is about understanding that God's will is bigger than just YOU and ME but that it's about how you and I live in abandonment of ourselves to His purposes ... whatever they may be. Our scope should widen beyond our little world as we realize that the rest of the world is on God's agenda too. So our question to God becomes simplified. "God, what is Your will ... period? What do I do?" Believe me. He knows where you and I fit in the grand scheme.

Today my son got home and found that not only dinner, but one of his favorite dinners, was waiting on him. Thus, his tune changed abruptly. But I'm learning, as God's child, that I want my tune to be consistent whether I get what I want when I want it or not. This way, I don't have to feel childish when things finally do end up working out for me pretty sweetly ... only after I've whined my way through them or not shown God a good, trusting attitude.

So, Chilllll

He's introduced me to some hard things to show me I'm actually not as smart as I thought I was and that I actually don't have that really dope glue to hold things together like I thought I did.

So, when my children show me their impatience and lack of understanding when it comes to who's in charge, I'm learning to sit back on the inside and know that I've nothing to be anxious about in my response to them. I know what they don't know, and I don't have to get out of sorts to show them this. My God has no reason to get out of sorts. Neither do I.

#flapjacks #foodforthought #faith