photo source: richard.keen

I can taste the fruit of Eve. I’m aware of sickness death and disease. The results of her choices were vast. Eve was the first but she wasn’t the last. If I were honest with myself, had I been standing at that tree, my mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit. Things I shouldn’t know and things I shouldn’t see.

Remind me of this with every decision. Generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.

She taught us to fear the serpent. I’m learning to fear myself and all of the things I am capable of in my search for acceptance, wisdom and wealth. To say the devil made me do it is a cop-out and a lie. The devil can’t make me do anything when I’m calling on Jesus Christ.

Remind me of this with every decision. Generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.

To my great-great-great-granddaughter, live in peace. To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace. To my great-great-great granddaughter, live in peace. To my great-great-great-grandson, live in peace, live in peace.

Remind me of this with every decision. Generations will reap what I sow. I can pass on a curse or a blessing to those I will never know.

Eve was the first but she wasn’t the last.

Generations by Sara Groves. From the album, Conversations. Reprinted with permission.

Today we ran to the grocery store for one quick thing (jars! we made pickles!). Lydia can get out of her carseat by herself, but I still need to open her door due to the child-proof locks. After opening her door, it slammed shut again. And while I was on Asa’s side of the car getting him out, Lydia whined at me, “Moommmyyy! Get me out of here!”

I wanted to shame her. She had been in the car for 15 seconds. I was unbuckling her brother! How could she not see this? I wanted to yell that she was being selfish, rude and disrespectful! Instead, I walked around to her side of the car and got her out. But I did say, “Lydia, I didn’t forget you. You can’t yell at Mommy.”

And her response? Lip stuck out, head down, arms crossed. She pouted.

It aggravated me. Why would her first response to everything be whining, complaining and pouting? When something bad happens (getting the door slammed on her) she whines. When she is disciplined, she pouts. Why? Why is that the first response?

Shouldn’t she live a little more “hakuna matata” when it comes to minute troubles like the car door not opening? Shouldn’t she take my discipline with appreciation?

Yeah. She should. But so should I.

When was the last time I whined and complained (in my head, in my heart) about a situation? When was the last time I pouted (or ignored) discipline from the Lord while reading my Bible? More times than I care to admit. In fact, it may be my go-to response. Just like Lydia’s.

You know, I gave Lydia her name because of the Lydia in Acts 16. Paul and Silas (and others) came to Macedonia to preach about Jesus. The first place they went  was by a river where a group of women had gathered. They began to speak to the women about Jesus. And Lydia responded first. She and her whole household were baptized. And immediately she asked Paul and his group to stay at her house. Later when Paul and Silas were miraculously released from prison they went back to her house for encouragement.

I love that the Lydia in the Bible was quick to believe in Jesus. She was quick to act on her belief–she got baptized right away. She was quick to tell and lead her whole family in baptism, too. She recognized Paul and his team as authority from the Lord and she went out of her way to be hospitable to them. Even when there was a volatile (and perhaps dangerous) situation like prison!

I want my Lydia to be this way. To be quick to listen to Jesus. Quick to respond with respect to authority. Quick to offer hospitality and servitude. I want my Lydia to be the one people come to in times of trouble because she will offer peace and encouragement.

And this is what I want for me, too. Today I’m going to choose to be like the Biblical Lydia. And when I say my daughter’s name today, I’ll use it as a prayer over my own Lydia. So that together we can learn to put whining, complaining and pouting behind us. And make obedience, respect, honor and hospitality a part of us–as much a part of us as our own names.

Last week during Performing Arts Camp, my niece came over to spend the night. Her mom (my sister-in-law) was the choir director and was staying late at church so I thought it would be nice to bring my niece home one night. It was a fun-filled afternoon where the kids played in the sprinkler, took a bath in our giant tub, went to the pool and took a shower all in one day. So, as we were getting ready for bed, the girls wanted curlers in their wet hair. And in the middle of it, my phone rang.

My niece handed me the phone and all I heard was screaming on the other end. It was my mom. She was hysterical. I heard her say my brother’s name and something about a fire. I said, “What’s going on?” And she yelled again. Then I heard it–my brother’s house was on fire. And my mom didn’t know where my brother was.

I ran downstairs and told my husband then ran out the door. It was the most sickening, terrifying feeling I’ve ever had. By the time I got to their house (they live next door to my parents), the firemen had arrived and the fire was out. But the damage had been done. Lightning had struck the kitchen and the fire had destroyed most of their belongings.

The miracle in the story is that my niece wasn’t supposed to be spending the night with me that night. She was supposed to come on Tuesday. But I had to cancel at the last minute for a dance class. And because my niece was with me, my brother and sister-in-law did what any kid-less parents would do–they went out to eat. A mere 40 minutes before the lightning struck. Had they been there–cooking dinner in that kitchen? They would have been dead. Immediately.

When I got home, the kids were already in bed (thank you to my husband!). The next morning I didn’t tell them what happened. We decided to bring my niece to her (other) grandmother’s house so my brother and sister-in-law could explain what  happened. They decided to ease her into the story and only tell her the house had been hurt and she’d have to stay with Grammy for the day. Well, after the story got around, they got to check out the damage and they realized that almost everything was gone, they didn’t know what to do.

It was such a scary sight. They didn’t want her to see it and be afraid of lightning for the rest of her life. Or have nightmares about their horrifying looking house. But they couldn’t hide it from her either–the entire church knew! Plus, she’s 7 years old! She’s not stupid.

Remember, this is in the middle of the Performing Arts Camp and VBS which my mom and my sister-in-law are in charge of! Everyone was abnormally stressed anyway! So, finally, they decided they had to  show her the house. They took her out to breakfast alone and told her what happened. Then they all walked through the house together. They said she cried when she saw her room.

Now they’ve had to buy shoes, clothes and even a Build-a-Bear to get back on their feet. They are living with us for the next week until they move into their new home (Another miracle–they were renting their home and just signed a lease on a new house. They were already planning to move out at the end of the month!). It has been a crazy crazy place in our family this week. But we are praising God for His protection and His promise to bring beauty from ashes!

You gave me such good advice when my husband’s grandfather died, so I’m asking today: How do you help kids deal with tragedies like fire, storms or natural disasters?

pic above not their house! photo by benmcleod.