"Gosh Dang It, I'm Obeying!"

Ruby thinks mittens make great socks.

The title is a direct quote from my almost-three-year-old daughter. She was having a rather hard time doing what she was told, mostly because she was overtired from not taking a nap.  I told her to pick up her stuffed animals and put them in her bed.  She ignored me and went on with whatever she was doing.  I sang my verison of the "uh oh song" (a Love and Logic idea), which went something like, "Uh oh! Ruby's not obeying..." and Ruby immediately snapped to attention and said, "Obeying! Gosh dang it!  Gosh dang it, I'm obeying!" as she scurried to put her stuffed animals on the bed.

It struck me as ruefully funny.  Of course, I'm a little bummed that my two year old already knows and uses the phrase "gosh dang it" (although it is better than the alternative). But it really reminded me of what my attitude towards God is so often like.  God tells me through His Word what I should and should not do.  I don't get around to it and continue to do my own thing (which, as any parent can tell you, is as much a form of disobedience as an outright, defiant "NO!").  Then, as I sense the Holy Spirit giving me the divine "uh oh song", I grumblingly comply with obedience...usually.  I'm so thankful that God is infinitely more patient a parent than I am, and that He has put up with centuries of rebellious and disobedient children, always extending them grace upon grace and chance upon chance.  I hope that someday I will have grown and matured past spiritual toddlerhood, but a lot of days, well, that's still where I feel I am.

I can take heart about this though: as they say,

I ain't what I want to be

and I ain't what I ought to be

and I ain't what I'm gonna be,

but thank you God,

I ain't what I used to be!