a model child

Depending on how long you've know me, or how long you've read my blog, you may or may not be aware of how Truett's life started out. Most days I completely forget about those early weeks...facing the news of his heart problem, the days in the hospital with my sweet 6-week-old baby, weeks following the surgery filled with prayer and hope that he would be 'okay'. 

Well, let me tell you, Truett's heart is working just fine these days. My sweet, fragile, helpless boy is fragile and helpless no more. {He is still occasionally sweet, thank goodness!} Parenting him is a mystery. Prior to having a second baby, I was aware that children have unique personalities with different needs. But now I know the magnitude of this truth. Oh boy...literally...oh boy!

To be honest, prior to having Truett, I thought I had the mom thing pretty well figured out...even that I was exceptional at it. Maren responded well to discipline, she was smart, funny, mostly-agreeable, a good eater, good sleeper...and then came Truett. Ha!

I love him fiercely...he has taught me so many lessons in his short {okay, sometimes it feels long!} two years. He is affectionate and snuggly, he loves to read books, he is an introvert {like his mama...really, most of the time when we have lots of friends over, I'll find him looking at books in another room, or playing quietly in his bed!}, he has a great sense of humor, and brings much joy to our family. I honestly love him so much.

But, he also makes me crazy! He's so hard for me to parent. We are learning and growing together, but there are days that end in tears...for both of us. He is stubborn. He throws fits. He is messy {I know, he's a boy!}, he's aggressive, and often I just don't know what to do with all these different things. 

God is so gracious...and reminds me often of my own sin as I'm working at training and disciplining Truett in love. This business of being refined through my kids is hard, though! I'm thankful for the glimpses of God's great love for us...no matter how massive our mistakes and wanderings, he loves us enough to patiently guide us back. Admittedly, I'm not always as patient as I wish...and way too often I focus on my immediate desire for behavior modification rather than the lasting implications of heart-change for my kids. I mess up...I yell sometimes, I get lazy sometimes, I try too hard to do things on my own, without the help of the Lord. But He faithfully reminds me that he has not left me to my own devices in this calling to be a mother! He's given me a wise, loving husband...He's given His relevant, encouraging, challenging truth in the Word...He's given me gifts of prayer and rest. Thank goodness...because really, I'm not sure I'd make it any other way.

So, here's a story...last week, our family was all under the weather. Truett had a cough that was lasting a long time, and he has a history of ear infections, which had me concerned that his ears were bothering him. We were having a really rough morning at home...he'd been particularly whiny. I decided to go ahead and take him to the doctor just to be sure he didn't have something more serious than a bad cold...but also sort of dreading a trip to the doctor's office with my feisty little guy. 

Truett remained disagreeable right up until the doctor walked in, and then something unbelievable happened. The doctor asked him to sit on the table, and his reply? "Sure." She asked him to take some big breaths for the stethoscope..."okay." Can you open your mouth really wide? "Okay." He proceeded to let the doctor poke and prod, check his eyes, nose, mouth, ears...he coughed, breathed, and moved on command. I sat there in awe, and considered asking the doctor to come home with me. She turned to me, and I kid you not, the lady said,

"He is a model child. I wish every 2-year-old was as cooperative as he is! He would be a perfect child for a student to observe because he is so compliant. Most parents would pay to have their 2 year old behave this well!" {Yeah, sign me up to pay for my kid to behave this well!!!}

I wanted to laugh hysterically and bawl all at the same time. Also, I wished I had a tape recorder (ummm...that dates me just a little bit, right?) so I could remember those words. I have a feeling there will be times in my future when I'll want to replay them over and over to myself, to teachers, church nursery workers, grandparents...a model child. It still makes me snicker to type that out. And I'm realizing now that even if I DID have a tape recorder, no one would ever be able to hear those words again, because nobody owns cassette players anymore! 

So, these are the lessons I'm learning, and the little gifts the Lord is giving me to help make it through. Do you like that picture above? Truett loves Maren's purse and pink Bible. He opens it up and recites {several times a day} "Then Jesus went to work. The end."

I can't help but think, Yup. Jesus certainly does go to work...every single day. He works on my heart, and Truett's...and I'm so very glad He does.