Sorry, Mom.

This is going to be a rambling post, you have been forewarned.  Cam had just got out of the bathtub & we were getting ready for bed.  We were standing at the potty waiting patiently (& oh so patient you have to be with this one & the potty business...) when he grabbed a sticker he had given me earlier in the day & threw it in the toilet, & rushed with all his little might to flush the handle before I could stop him.  Before he had even pushed the handle to flush he shouted, "I sorry, Mom!"  And yes.  There was totally a "full of mischief-I'm n o t really sorry-what's she gonna do next-kinda grin" that followed.  

I thought about what he had done for a second.  I mean no big deal really, he passes stickers out like theres no tomorrow on a daily basis.  But what if this had been another kid who had treasured the sticker?  Or a toddler Conley in the future so proud of the sticker his big brother had given him?

Hmmmm.  I pretended to be sad.  Very sad.  Giving the Camster a taste of his own little medicine...puppy dog eyes.  He looked down at the ground, "I weeaally sorry Mom.  I get it for you!"  He shot his hand down toward the toilet bowl.  "No, Cam...that's okay, I just really wish you wouldn't have done that..."  His little face showed such concern.  If I know him, he thought it would make me upset or I'd just forget about it so he was kinda frazzled with what to do.  "I get you anoder one, Mom!"  He ran to find his little sticker book & let me tell you.  He sure made up for the one he had just sucked down the toliet.  He put them all over my back, butt, & leg.  Serious Clark.  The guilty conscience got the best of big brother boy.  This just shows his little heart right now...

God spoke to me in that moment with my little boy.  Is that not s p o t on how we are sometimes?  Don't we see opportunities everyday to do something we shouldn't (whether that's something big or something totally minor <in our eyes> like eating too many donuts or watching a *"super" scary movie-no big & little sins, right?  ;).  And when we are tempted to "flush the sticker down the commode" we do it as fast as we can all while telling God "sorry" before we have even finished committing the act.  Is that true remorse & a request for true forgiveness?  Nope.  Toddler like remorse.  Yep.  And then, we might even try to give God  as many "stickers" as we can to make up for what we have done.  And if we're anything like Cam, we would probably do the same thing the next time we "take a potty break."  We are born being rotten.  E v e r y o n e of us.

I don't really know where I am going with this post except to say: what a blessing it is that we have a merciful God that is so forgiving (& who has a sense of humor) when it comes using our kids to show us just how childish we can be at times.  Laughing & blessed on this Tuesday night.  

XO