Never Stood A Chance

Kids.  Working with the bright young minds of tomorrow can be a challenge.  For me and for them.  Sometimes, I think that they do not know their own strength.  Just ask my toys, and they will side with me.

I used an actual picture of my toys to go along with this blog.  Now the toys were staged for dramatic effect.  Y’all know I’m goofy.  But the detached leg on the daddy doll is the real deal.  One of the kids did not like the way the dad’s leg was positioned while they were playing.  Instead of asking for help to get the dad in the right position, they literally took matters in their own hands.  Poor daddy doll.  He never stood a chance.

The mom doll in the picture was put in the trash long ago.  For some reason, kid after kid twisted and turned her neck during play.  Apparently, the mama could never look in the right direction because they snapped her head off.  Not once, but multiple times.  Each time, I would super glue her head back onto her neck and let the kids know that she was in the ICU.  She would be placed on a shelf high above their reach.  They could see but were not allowed to touch her until her head was fully dry.  Eventually, I ran out of neck to reattach her head to and mama dear had a date with the trash can.  She never stood a chance.

Before I take too hard of a stance on my kiddos, I have to take a look at myself and the way that I handle others around me.  I am hard on myself, but I am also hard on others.  Instead of asking God to help me deal with people with conflicting viewpoints, I will take matters into my own hands.  I try to bend them to my will.  Inevitably, the struggle causes important parts of the person to break.  My haste to do things on my own has the potential to leave someone wounded.  Broken and needing time to recover.  If I do that too many times, they may reach the point of no return.  They never stood a chance against my dogmatic attitude.

I know that I am not the only one that has those moments.  However, I am shifting my approach to relationships with people.  I am learning to lean on the Lord and not my own understanding.  I am intentional with being a better listener and having an open mind.  It has made a world of difference.  When Jesus interacted with people, He did not browbeat them.  He operated in a spirit of love.  I need more of that.  The world does too, or Christianity will never stand a chance.  #wepreacy