Crocodile Tears

We are absolutely loving the joy our new little guy brings to our family each day. Yesterday though, something happened that I did not love-at first. Crocodile tears. You know the ones where the face scrunches up and the fists reach up to rub some form of liquid resembling tears from the eyes. These tears are the ones that scream, "I don't like this! I'm not happy! I don't want to do this!" when the voice knows it would be way too dangerous to shout those thoughts. It all started over rest time, not even the resting part, just the time. My new little guy is VERY concerned about time. When he wakes up, he wants to know what we will be doing during the day and when his rest time will take place. After rest time, he wants to know what the remainder of the day will look like and what time he will go to bed. We have basically the same night time routine and bedtime is set; yet, he is still concerned that somehow it might creep up an hour earlier. Yesterday, his time obsession got the best of him. I told him rest time would be until 5-3-0, made sure he heard me and sent him up to bed. For some reason, he came bounding down the stairs an hour early. I quickly told him he had another hour to go...And then it happened. His face scrunched and, mumbling something about it not being fair, the big ole' tears came out. It was as if time stood still for me. Through his tears, I could see clearly. We were about to turn a very important corner and for his sake, I was going to be sure to be in the lead on this one. I pulled him close, looked him in the eye, gave him the same instructions I had given him earlier, pointed out his mistake and lovingly, but firmly sent him back upstairs. I had moved from the "honeymoon phase" of coddling him to the real life phase of parenting him. It was a moment. And an hour later, he was up at the right time and happy about it. As I thought about this transition, I realized the only way it happened was because of the way God parents me when my crocodile tears flow. In those times when my heart says, "This isn't fair. I'm not happy. I don't like this!" In His goodness, God pulls me close, points out my mistakes, gives me His instructions again and lovingly, but firmly points me on His (not my) way. This week we're studying the book of Jonah here in the Little Academy. And, oh what a king of crocodile tears he was. God gave him instructions to go to the people of Ninevah and Jonah just didn't like it. He didn't think it was fair and he wasn't happy. So he ran and he hid and he fell and he sank and he ended up in the belly of a great fish. And there he decided to follow God. After a very messy repositioning, God planted Jonah on the shore and lovingly, but firmly, gave him the same instructions again, "Go to Ninevah." Jonah went, gave the message and the people repented. We would think Jonah would be rejoicing; but instead, he cried, crocodile tears over burning sun, a withered plant and a people he felt didn't deserve to believe in God. At the end of the book, we see God once again parenting, not coddling, lovingly, yet firmly pointing to Jonah's mistakes, instructing him in His way. God's way doesn't change. His instructions do not bend to our selfish manipulations. Our crocodile tears do not melt His heart because they come from a heart crying, "I, My, Me!" They flow from a fountain of pride. James 4:6 reminds us, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." It's not our feigned tears of frustration that move Him. God is not against our real tears, tears of a broken heart, tears of repentance, tears of submission. As a matter of fact, He wipes away the tears of the humble and calls them "blessed". Luke 6:21 says, "...Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh." Psalm 56:8-9 speaks of God's tender handling of our true tears, "You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know because God is for me." God is for us. It's in humility that His grace is given and our way is made clear. What a way to parent...I'm so thankful to call Him Father.