Quite a few years ago, when our *almost* 19 year old was about 7, our friends and their 3 kids were over. Our daughter had a huge Rubbermaid trunk full of prom dresses and ball gowns I'd found at thrift stores for 3$ each.
All her friends LOVED the Princess Box.
After she'd outgrown it, I saved a few for other little girls who might drop by.
On one such occasion, our friend's daughter "A" was having a(nother one of her FREQUENT) meltdown(s). She was wailing to beat the band from upstairs in the proximity of the Princess Box. Being the good parents that we were, we completely ignored her and kept chatting.
Her mother "M" finally called up to see what the problem was, but only after her father "M" (yup, same initial) had turned red and blown a gasket.
After a few of those air sucking gulps kids do when they want something and go totally overboard on the screaming and gnashing of teeth, she walked to the top of the stairs, took a HUGE breath and yelled down to us.
"I...SAID...I...W-A-N-T-E-D...A...PRETTY
PRINCESS DRESS!!!"
Her mother, the most patient person I know, said, "Well, why didn't you come down and ask nicely instead of having a tantrum?"
That calmed "A" right down...but not in a good way.
Why? Poor little, selfish "A" had ZEEEEERO patience.
None. NADA!!
Lately, I find myself yelling up into the sky "I said I want a Pretty Princess DRESS!!!!"
Time to quell the ME and wait on Him...
I'll still wrestle with the Princess inside me.
But I need to rest and KNOW that He has it all covered.
This made me smile, Jennifer. So good.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Kiersti. It's hard not getting what I want, but maybe getting what I want would be too hard?
DeleteI was LOL-ing when I saw this title! I can imagine this scenario playing out, and I know, I've shouted that sometimes, too. Thank goodness God knows how to handle our tantrums--quite frequently with some loving encouragement (or scolding) from our sisters/bros in Christ!
ReplyDeleteAMen! Sometimes it's the sisters and brothers who are the ones who can knock the sense into us.
DeleteHa ha, great analogy! It's true, we are so impatient. I comfort myself when I'm having one of those tantrum moments with this thought: God knows what we need, and sometimes what we want, is not what we need. Sometimes, what we want is actually bad for us. We have to trust in His goodness and His desires for us, instead of our desires for ourselves. :-)
ReplyDeleteVery true!! I'm glad He has the plan, I always do better when I can see the directions.
DeleteOne of the most important lessons we have to learn is that it's not all about us. There are things that impact our lives, and there are ways in which our lives impact other people.
ReplyDeleteI've asked God for healing, many times, and have come slowly to realize that God needs me to minister, just the way I am. Standing at the edge of the abyss and puking blood is not what I'd choose to be doing at this point in life, but The Man has given me the ability to respond with inappropriate humor and a determination not to be beaten...and that's the message He wants me to deliver.
Well, no, it DOESN'T make it easier, or remotely all right.
But what the heck. If you can't find something funny about dying, you're in pretty poor shape.
(The serious side of the Message is that there comes a point at which a positive attitude is all you have going for you, and you just have to run with it. Telling God "I want, I want, I want!" doesn't get you far. Telling Him, every morning, "With Your help, I'm going to have a GREAT day" beats back the darkness, and, I think, makes Him smile.)
Andrew, your attitude and perseverance do me in. You ARE an example of grace under pressure to a heck of a lot of people.
ReplyDeleteI've had so many of those moments. Once, when my four year old daughter was crying and throwing a fit, I said to my husband: "I wish I could cry and get what I wanted!" To which he calmly replied: "You do." :) I love his brutal honesty.
ReplyDeleteAhahaha!!! He's brave!! And just so you know, my husband has made that same observation.
ReplyDeleteOooh, Gabrielle. Ouch! I'm more likely to cry when mad than sad. Husband's just can't handle tears. God, however, not only tolerates them, he dries them when we let him. Even the mad tears.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah!! See comment below...I replied at the wrong spot.
DeleteI don't usually get the tears when I'm mad. I get the foreign language.
ReplyDeleteI love this, Jennifer! What a perfect analogy -- We've all been tempted to have that meltdown. At least I hope so -- I certainly have!
ReplyDeleteYou mean I can't have a pretty princess dress? pout.
ReplyDelete