When the Boys Come Knockin'

It's 9:36 Saturday morning, and I'm just committing to waking up. My husband's been up for a bit and is now downstairs. Before leaving the room, he made sure the comforter was pulled up around me nicely and then left.

I Shouldn't Have Assumed

I've been more tired than usual since I've been getting up early to work on some things without being pulled on by anyone for a few hours (wives and mamas, ya'll know what I mean, don't you?). Well, I assumed my sons understood why they haven't seen me surface downstairs yet this morning. I assumed they understood why my bedroom door was still closed. And I assumed that they respected this reason. However, moments ago, the persistent knocks of my 5 year-old gently rapped on my door. When they went unanswered, he went away -- the first time. But when they started up for the second round, I finally said, "Come in" (in a groggy voice). And you know what? I can't even remember what he asked me when he came in to talk to me because I was still quite tired.

About 15 minutes later, the knocks of my 9 year-old came. With courtesy, he said good morning and proceeded to ask me if I'd read the note (written in purple crayon) he left on my pillow on his way to bed last night (the note was about the purchase of a Nintendo Switch). I appreciate the gentle nature he carried when he interrupted my Saturday morning snooze; however, I knew that both boys had come knocking without their father knowing their actions. I believe their attempts would have been intercepted had my husband known their agendas.

He Loves Me

I believe this because my husband left me asleep with the understanding that I needed more rest. I believe he had the heart to let me sleep while he went on downstairs to start off the day's parenting alone. I believe he didn't disturb me because he loves me and wants to show me. And so, in this sense, he selected to cover me, taking on the tasks of making breakfast and supervising our boys, granting me the chance for extra rest.

Again, had he known the boys had it on their minds to come knocking on my door to interrupt my sleep, he would've stopped them.

God's Classroom

This causes me to think of how I've been learning more about God and the way He takes care of His children. Those who don't care to know Him may think that if He's so good, He won't allow anything bad or gut wrenching to come to those He loves. And some Christians may start their walk with Him thinking similarly but moving toward the interesting reality that bad times don't equal His nonchalance regarding His loved ones.

What they do equal is the truth that He's sovereign and perfect in His ways. What they do teach us to do is trust Him with our lives. The notice they do serve us is that at the core of our bond with Him is the requirement of our love for Him through obedience to Him (John 14:15).

So, when He lifts up His guard gate to allow bad stuff through ... when He allows life interruptions to come knock at our door, it's to bring us to another level of awakening and truth about who He is and who we are. Therefore, it's for our good to learn not to despise fiery situations and disruptions that jolt us awake🔥🔥🔥.

Believe and Obey

It's the job of His children to

1. BELIEVE that He loves us (and that there's nothing that'll ever change that, for if that could be changed, then who He is could be changed) - 1 John 4:8,19 and

2. Respond in OBEDIENCE to Him through it ALL. This is how we give love back to Him and serve our purpose here in life. Living any other way is a waste of time (and we all know that time eventually runs out).

So ... when "the boys" come knocking, stay at rest in who God is and the fact that He loves you.