The Lesson of the Mums

Sometimes God uses the everyday to speak truth to me.

Yesterday, C & I took advantage of the unusually hot weather to scrub down the front porch. A 2 year old + a hose + soap suds= good times. In addition, we took a trip to Meijer to purchase what have to be the most beautiful mums I have ever seen. (I have been shopping around for a huge pot of mums for the porch and Meijer has the most gorgeous, GIANT ones for $20!).

After selecting our orange flowers and paying for them, I buckled C into his carseat and the mums literally took up the entire side of the adjacent seat. C couldn't resist touching them, saying, "Flowers! Smell!" I reminded him to look with his eyes and not to touch the flowers.

No sooner had we left the parking lot did I see him plucking off a mum and smelling it. Mums are not the most fragrant flowers, and he did not appreciate the smell. He tossed the petals on the ground and screamed, "Ewww!" He met my gaze in the rearview mirror & I gave him a stern, "No. You may not touch the flowers". Of course, within minutes, his chubby hands were pulling off another flower, tossing in and shreiking due to the nasty smell on his hands. I reached back and gave his hand a firm squeeze and another reminder.

I kept thinking, "Child, you know that you were told not to touch the mums and you know that your hands stink after you touch them. Whay do you continue?!?!" Then, it struck me that God often says the same thing to me. Romans 7:15 says: "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." How many times has God told me not to gossip, be lazy, etc. and yet I forge ahead, aware that I am disobeying and later filled with the reek and remorse of my sin?

Well, after a stop at my sister's house, my sister & niece came out to admire the mums and I decided it would be best to move them to the front seat. Another lesson there: removing temptation! C was an excellent helper in choosing a spot for the mums-I will post a picture of our clean porch and mums when they are full-blown. I will also say that he was eager to clean the peppery "eww" smell from his hands.

Have a great Friday! Off to do laundry and build a block garage for Matchbox cars.