You DO, Actually, Have a Choice!

There was a point in the day, today, when our 3-year-old son was resisting following instruction, and his daddy applied pressure...but instead of submitting to the pressure, our son responded a fair bit self-assuredly:

"Well, actually, I have a choice."

We were so caught off guard, and so surprised by this response, that all we really did was look at each other with shocked grins while trying to ward off the laughter threatening to erupt!

It's true--what could we say?  He does have a choice.  We just weren't prepared for him to realize that yet.

So, after the shock-and-awe faded a bit, I got to thinking how we should handle such a situation, or how to turn this sort of time into a teachable moment.   But really, Jack's words resonated deeply within myself...How often do I dislike something my Father is asking me to do, and resist, and declare proudly, "Well, actually, I have a choice."

Of course, we all want to be independent and not merely follow another's bidding.  We all want to think we possess unshakable wisdom.  We all want to exercise our free will--and rightly so, since we were created to do so!  It's just that, I usually come to regret acting on my own choices...and perhaps the truest form of wisdom is following one who is wiser?

 After some thought, I decided that perhaps the best thing to say to Jack after that sort of declaration is something like: "You're right--you do have a choice.  But there are consequences for your choices, so please choose wisely."  I felt a little sheepish, since I felt I was saying it more to myself than to him.  I do love it when God uses my little children to teach me big lessons!