Progress is a Spiral

"Woops!  I thought we had mastered the potty."  "Oh no, I thought you knew not to touch the fan!"  "What, we're having problems with the afternoon nap now?  I thought I had that down!"  "Hello?  You liked green beans yesterday!"

Unfortunately for mothers everywhere, children progress in a spiral.  Things get better, then worse, then better, then worse.  The same lessons must be repeated time and time again.  It can really try one's patience!

My mother once told me "parenting will mature you, if you let it."  That progressive spiral can be a wonderful patience builder.... or it can be very discouraging.  It all depends on how I choose to deal with the regressions that will inevitably come.  I am sometimes tempted to throw up my hands in frustration and proclaim that I'll never get it right and I just can't do this anymore.  But of course I will wake up tomorrow and still be the mother.  But what kind of a mother will I be?

Cheerfulness is essential in the development of patience.  When Junior has an potty accident even though he's had many clean and dry days, how will I respond?  Well, of course I will clean it up.  That's not what defines my action as patient.  Of course, I will tell him that he knows better, and this is not how we do things.  But what will my tone be?  Will I be cheerful, truly believing that he can do better?  Or will I be grouchy, feeling despondent about whether this will ever be fully mastered?

It takes work to develop cheerful, patient endurance.  It doesn't come naturally, even to the most loving mother.  It is frustrating to be cleaning the same messes and teaching the same lessons over and over again.  But this common, everyday trial is the one God chose to refine me.  How much better if I joyfully submit to the refining fire?

Photo originally uploaded by Cl@re Bear
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