If you read my last blog post, you know I’m reading through the Bible this year with the Bible Recap Plan. Currently, I’m in Leviticus, and it’s D R Y. This book has always been difficult to read, and I know it isn’t just me.
Something that the host said this week really stuck with me. It was a reminder that the laws God set in this book were about creating a way for God to be among His people. The sacrifices were what made it possible for God to be present with His people.
I had never thought of God wanting to be with us so bad that he would ask us to daily kill an animal to atone for our sins.
The host of the Bible Recap, Tara Leigh Cobble, focuses a lot on examining what these stories and books of the Bible tell us about God’s character. In all of the sacrifices, God made it accessible to all people. Wealth has no bearing on your ability to become ceremonially clean. God is compassionate!
How blessed we are that God is compassionate…and patient.
As the Israelites went on their way after escaping Egypt, they were frustrating! They regularly complained about everything! So much so, that they actually wished they could go back to being slaves in Egypt rather than trust in God.
I can relate to this in some ways, but the first that comes to mind is potty training.
I despise potty training.
I thought it was rough with my son, but boy, was I just getting started! My daughter has so far proven to be much more challenging.
She is stubborn and apathetic about the whole thing. In fact, I have almost just wished she was back in diapers and we could start all over.
Some people try to tell me she isn’t ready- I disagree. In fact, she goes so well at daycare that I don’t even bring diapers anymore. She hasn’t needed them for months, not even at naptime. She goes potty when she has to and that’s that. There’s relatively no fuss about it anymore even.
But at home??? It’s a completely different story.
This girl has accidents in her pants like she’s never used a potty before.
She was doing really well…until the baby was born.
I digress.
I’m so grateful for this Bible Recap! Because for the first time ever, I’m seeing these laws as a blessing to the Israelites. I’m seeing Gods character so much more vividly than ever before. His compassion and patience for the people of Israel is vast and overwhelming.
This study is not only teaching me about His character, but I’m striving to be more like God.
So where I used to loose my temper with my seemingly not so potty trained little girl, I take deeper breaths and try to approach her with compassion and patience. She has consequences, just like the whiny Israelites did, but they are not enforced with anger anymore. More with compassion and love.
Do I still get raging angry when she says, “Mommy, I’m pooping!”? You betcha I do. I sometimes just want to scream and light something on fire.
Lately, however, I remember the many, many, MANY times God patiently forgave and blessed the Israelites when they didn’t deserve it, as well as the many times he has undoubtedly given me grace for all the dumb things I’ve done and said throughout my life. So, after several “cleansing” breaths, I clean up the mess she made and go on loving her and playing with her like nothing happened, because the truth is if God held my mistakes over my head all day every day, it would be hard to get out of bed and keep trying every day.
Please, feel free to send some prayers our way as we continue to climb this mountain with our daughter! Some days, we react like two human parents who have cleaned enough poop out of underwear at this point to work at a sewage treatment plant. If you’re wondering what a person at that kind of whits end might look like, think Clark Griswold at the end of Christmas vacation.
Additionally, share with us your tips and tricks to getting a stubborn little girl to use the potty at home like she does at daycare!
I swear I can see the Promised Potty-Trained Land just around the corner.