Do you remember those days when your little ones were a handful in the store?  Even if there was one of you and one of them, that was too much some days!  Maybe you’re in that phase now where you have little ones that love to keep busy while mom is figuring out which bread to buy!  And for a child, it’s not that hard to find “toys” all throughout the store!

I joined another mom in the soup aisle at the grocery store the other day.  She was so focused on the shelf in front of her that she was totally oblivious to what her little 2 year old was venturing to do!  You could just see how her mind was overloaded with decisions “hmmm….do I get chicken noodle soup, maybe I’ll go with the Chunky Beef this time, well Campbell’s Tomato Soup is on sale!”.

Now here I am without kids, so I have plenty of time to notice others!  Out of the corner of my eye I see her little guy, thinking he’s a big boy, start pushing the cart down the aisle.  My inner alarm was going off, but it all happened too fast as I watched to see the cart crash into end cap!  Houston, we have contact!  The whole display was under attack!!  All I saw was aluminum cans of tomato soup falling and rolling everywhere!  I was waiting for a snap or yell to come from a frustrated mom, perhaps like so many of us would do.  Instead, mom remained very calm with him as she patiently told her toddler in training to “pick them up”.

Wow!  Seeing her display that level of patience was such a great reminder how God is so patient with us too!  Are we displaying that type of patience with our children as they grow up?    Were you loosen the rope little bits at a time as they make good decisions, letting them be who God created them to be.  Yes, sometimes they will make the wrong choice, but are we showing them that Christ-like patience that God shows us as we are learning to grow in Him?

Be waiting and armed with patience, ready to “pick them up” when they fall.