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One morning in 2008, we were reading as a family from my eight-year-old son’s children's Bible about how sin entered the world: through disobedience.
My son commented, "I would never do what Adam did. Why was he so bad? I hate him."
I just smiled and tucked his remark away for a later time.
That “later time” came just an hour later during his deskwork. When something didn't go quite right, he threw his pencil and stood up and started pounding his hand on the table and stomping his feet and saying how stupid he was.
I spoke very quietly, "This is your garden, Buddy."
That off-the-wall comment stopped him right in his tracks.
Son:
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[panting] Huh??????
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Me:
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This is your garden, sweetie, just like Adam was in the garden with God. Remember we read about that this morning?
God told Adam not to do something but he did it anyway, remember?
Well, hasn't Mommy talked to you about your emotional outbursts and how they hurt you because you're feeding your flesh? Do you remember all our talks about that?
[FYI, I have been addressing his off-and-on emotional outbursts in various ways.]
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Son:
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[looking forlorn, while shirking] Yeah.
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Me:
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Well, Mommy has given you an instruction about not acting out emotionally and you still are, just like Adam was given an instruction to obey but he disobeyed anyway.
Do you see that's what you're doing?
It's just like you're standing in the garden like Adam was and disobeying too.
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Son:
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[no response]
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Me:
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You know what? Mommy doesn't hate you though.
I love you...SO much!!!!!
[And I hugged him and sat him in my lap, holding his freckled face in my hands, looking him in the eye.]
God doesn’t think you’re stupid, just growing. He loves you SO much too. Do you know how I know that?
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Son:
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How?
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Me:
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Because He was willing to die on the cross for you and pay the price for that sinful outburst you just had.
Wow! Isn't He a great God!
We don't have to perform for Him to please Him; we just have to accept His love.
Do you know that Jesus did the same thing for me? I am a sinner and He died for me too. That's why I love Him. I've accepted His gift of love and He's forgiven me.
You need to ask Him to forgive you for that disobedient outburst. Do you want to do that now?
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Son:
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You ask Him.
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Me:
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[So I prayed something like] Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to die for my son and me. Help him to see his flesh and hate it. Then help him to turn from his outbursts each time he has a chance and release that fleshly junk to You.
Thank You for Your love for both of us. I know Your great love for my sweet boy here will draw him to You just like Your love drew me to You. You are so wonderful! We love You.
[And we hugged and kissed.]
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Lead your children to the cross
and point them to the One Who loves them unconditionally.
Let His love flow through you to them.
Love never fails!
Thank You, Lord.
Provoke not your children to wrath
but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
~Ephesians 6:4
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