It was the perfect storm of circumstances that can lead to toddler MegaTantrum -- parents, you know what I mean. Due to my poor planning my 2 year old ended up both Hungry and Tired. And she came unglued. She was too tired to eat and too hungry to sleep. Lost in her (very vocal and dramatic) misery, she kept refusing my offers of the 2 things that'd actually help her feel better ... food and rest.
If you've been around toddlers much this probably sounds familiar. But I think it sounds familiar in other ways too -- how often, in our own misery, do we refuse God's offers of help? How often do we reject the very things He knows are good for us? How often do we get so busy proclaiming our tales of woe, that we can’t focus on what will actually improve our situation?
Now, generally speaking as adults we don't share our woes by screaming and doing a plank on the kitchen floor while kicking the table and throwing things. Generally. And there is nothing wrong with sharing our sorrow so we can seek comfort, wisdom, and prayer. But you know what I mean. There is a time and place for sharing and discussing, and then there is a time when we get stuck there. I think of my own journey of marriage breakdown and divorce ... there were times when I was far too willing to complain; and in doing so; I would turn my back on the offerings of healing and joy that God was holding out to me.
Fortunately, God is a much better parent than I am. Poor Isla’s discomfort resulted from my own poor planning; whereas our heavenly parent never makes mistakes. If he puts us in (or allows us to walk into) a situation where we have more than we can handle, it is intentional, and it is because something good can potentially come out of it. The only question is, are we willing to let God use our suffering for good? Furthermore, God will ALWAYS give us a pathway out of our pain. The only question there is, are we willing to set the sorrow, woe, or misery aside long enough to seek God’s help and direction? And truly allow a filling of the Holy Spirit?
In Isla’s case; I put a Christian ListenerKids video on my phone, and the fun music and beautiful visuals distracted her from her misery enough that she started to eat the food I put in front of her (instead of throwing it at me, yay). Hunger addressed, she is now sleeping peacefully. And now it’s time for this mama to clean up the mess.
