Hey Reader,
If you have a two-year-old yourself, or have ever been around one, then you already know…
My 2.5-year-old, Finnegan, was going through it this week. As I sat there trying to homeschool my 4.5-year-old, Maximus, and sing the alphabet (something Finnegan knows and LOVES to sing too), Finn came over to us and just started screaming. Tears streaming down his face, and him chucking toys across the room. It was so sad, but a part of me also couldn't help but chuckle a little, because it was quite the scene.
Max was so understanding. He went off to play with his Legos while I tried to figure out what was going on with Finn. His favorite food? Tossed across the carpet. (Of course it was yogurt…) His favorite book? Nearly ripped to shreds. Offering to put on his favorite TV show? A near slap across my face.
I took a deep breath and whispered, "Lord Jesus. Give me patience and gentleness today." Finn was charging toward me. I scooped him up and brought him into his room while Max continued to play with Legos in our loft, just outside the open bedroom door. (Yes, I'm including all these details. I need you to know I was keeping an eye on Max too!)
Instead of forcing him to talk, or lay down with me, or even cuddle me, I just laid down in his bed and waited for him to be ready, while he laid face down next to the bed, wailing. Every once in a while, I'd remind him I was there. And eventually, Finnegan sat up. So I sat up on the bed. He walked over to me, trying to catch his breath, and collapsed into my arms. I wiped his tears away and rocked him, letting him finally sink into the comfort he knew was always waiting for him.
But that's the thing with comfort... sometimes we want to be mad! And sometimes we need to feel sadness. We need to feel the anger to process it and try to understand it, so we can move on. But as Finn's mom, I know that if he would have just let me hold him from the beginning, he wouldn't have reacted the way he did.
And God knows that if we go to Him when we feel anything, literally ANYTHING, He will comfort us immediately. Instead, we often try to muddle through and make everything better ourselves. But. God gives us gifts for a reason: because He loves us!
So when you feel yourself FEELING and needing a place to release it? The best place to release it is at the feet of Christ.
"Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." — Psalm 62:8
He's already sitting down with arms wide open, waiting for when you are ready. It's okay to collapse.
P.S. — If you haven't downloaded it yet, make sure to grab the CASTLE Prayer Framework guide and workbook to start praying with intention. And if you want to add faith into your daily routine, use this interactive tracker! As always, I'm here for you. Respond and let me know how I can best serve you.
