Responsibility

Oh the joys of teenage boys! Let me just start off by saying that! heehee I don't quite have a teenage boy but he is 6 months (almost to the day) from the dreaded teenage years and let me just say he is warming up to the stereo type nicely. Most days he is that calm, sweet, caring, loveable, sensitive, good thinker that he has been since the day he was born but then there are days he is the most careless, thoughtless, hateful, irresponsible boy that I know will one day morph into a teenager at my house.

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Responsibility is the key phrase at my house right now. I used to preach that to Kristina but thank goodness she seems to be coming around...finally! She knows what has to be done and she gets the job done with little to no supervision (most days). But, Gabe, goodness gracious I am on him from sun up to sun down some days it seems like. He does his homework, but yet he doesn't turn it in. He is to take the trash out every single day, but yet he forgets almost every single day. Honestly, I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. So, therefore, the responsibility speech is used over and over, day after long day!

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Money management is a new thing that has been on my mind lately. I am learning more and more how our personal finances aren't within God's will and I am most definitely wanting to be within God's will so I am learning and studying as much I possibly can about what God says about finances. I am learning that just as I am trying to teach Gabe responsibility, God is trying to teach me responsibility. Just as the little things like homework and trash detail are the ways I use to teach Gabe, God uses flat tires and unpaid medical bills to teach me. He says in Luke 16:10 "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones." (NLT)

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Wow! I have to take a moment right here and just sigh...if necessary...you do the same! I am learning each and every day that the very thing I am trying to teach my children my Heavenly Father is trying to teach me. And, just as frustrated as I get at my children, God is just as frustrated with me. But, through his mercy and grace he is forgiving and patient with me just as I am forgiving and patient with my children. As adults we often times think that we are responsible and are doing exactly as we should because, after all, we are adults. But, what we need to stop and realize is the learning curve never stops. Just because we are adults does not mean that we are responsible. It does not mean that we are living within God's will and it most definitely doesn't mean that we know everything! How are you handling small matters? Are you responsible enough to handle the large ones yet?