One of the many great blessings of children...

I definitely see how babies spur on our sanctification - even if they're not your own!

I babsit a family's 16-month-old boy a few times a week, and we've been working on learning the sign for "more". He's a very fast learner, however his intellect is matched by his strong will! So he's learned exactly what "more" means and that he must tell me "more" to get more food, but sometimes he just doesn't feel like doing that. :)

Well, yesterday was one of those days. He simply refused to say "more". He would scream, reach for the food, cry in frustration and get upset with me. But no matter how many times I asked him to say "more", he wouldn't. He became so desperate to eat (and not to comply) that he began trying to eat the leftover crumbs on his high chair. It was so sad to watch! It broke my heart to see how hungry and sad he was, and that he didn't know that I was trying to help him.

And after thinking about that, a sudden understanding of his situation hit me. How many times have I refused to submit to the hand of God? How often do I do that just because in my pride it doesn't seem particularly natural or convenient? And how many times do I wrench at and resent what is happening in my life because I really do believe that God is withholding something good from me?

This seemed so clear to me because I was relating to this child the way that God relates to me. It was awful to realize that, in reality, most of the time I am an immature child, refusing the generous love of my father out of an infantile pride.