I know I'm Whining..

My new favorite quote this week is again from Gary Thomas as he talks about the problem with most parenting books:

"They assume, first, that you're calm, and second, that you have the time and energy to write out reward charts, draw out discipline contracts, and still have the peace of mind to administer them calmly and peacefully. On top of this, they assume that you and your spouse are on the same page, that you don't feel buried under financial pressure, and that you don't have a headache, cramps, or a pressing deadline at work."

Amen.

And not that any of us around here are immature enough to keep track of these things, but only one of us did all of the poop collecting and stirring required for Joshua's lab work. In my husband's defense, he was at work for all but one of the "opportunities to collect."

On that one for which he was here, he watched me do it with great amusement, making comments like, "Wow, I've never heard anyone's stomach wretch like that before." And then when I was finished he said, "I guess I could have done that for you."

What a convenient time for that thought to occur to him!

But I didn't start this post to complain about my family (It just sort of happens, you know, because I'm a natural whiner). I've actually been whining about a lot of things this week. Yes, it's been a hard couple of weeks, but I knew it would be. I thought I could handle it without being impatient, resentful, and unkind to the people I love the most and am called to serve. I was wrong.

Sometimes, I guess seeing ugly things in ourselves is good for us. How else would we realize how much we need God and how much we don't deserve the extravagant grace He gives us?

For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Cor 12:10