Being a mom is very frustrating at times.

Take today, for example.  (Please!)

My elder son, Cyclone, has been given the assignment for his Honors Biology class to put together a speech about why the class should elect the Nucleus as President.  (As opposed to other organelles in the average DNA-enabled cell.)

This means that the teacher is wanting the kids to approach the classic Report on Cell Structure with some creativity.  Some fun. And some public speaking entertainment.  This is great.

Now, Cyclone is fortunate. He has a former champion public speaker in the house.  One who can help him get all the salient points required into his presentation AND do it in such a manner as to amuse and entertain his classmates and teacher.  This is a biggie, in something like this. Means the difference, sometimes, between and A and a B.

I presented Cyclone with some good ideas.  We found some necessary visual aids. I offered him tips on how to deliver his presentation with notes and how that could be made to look totally in theme with the Presidential Campaign Stump Speech.

He laughed, too.

But at the end of all of the discussion, he looked to me and said, “Mom, will you forgive me if I don’t take any of your advice?”

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I was struck, here, by how we might act in our relationship with God.

God knows we have jobs to do.  Some of them are written out very clearly, some not so clear.  He has given us assistance in the forms of Scripture and friends and experiences that we can draw upon to complete our tasks.

He wants us to be successful.  Just as I want my son to be successful.

Yet how often do we look up at the Lord God and say to him, as my son said to me, “Will you forgive me, Father, if I don’t take any of your advice?”

And our Father says to us, “I love you and I want you to be successful.  I won’t do this for you, but I will show you how to do it successfully, bringing out the best parts of yourself so that others can see you as I see you.”  But he will allow us to do the task (or even ignore it!) our own way.  He’s given us the freedom to be less than he would wish for us.

I know that I have disappointed my Lord on many many occasions.  I have asked for forgiveness countless times, as I err.  Still he is gracious to forgive me each time.

As I will, of course, forgive my son if he does indeed choose to ignore all the resources of time and talent that I could share with him and just do this presentation without my input.

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So yes, Cyclone. I’ll forgive you.  I love you.

Tags: family, God, Life, resources