I know its a bit of a change from the usual Lessons with Manny, but I do have two kids. And just because she is 3, that does not mean that there's nothing from me to learn from her. Or at least to be reminded of things. Before I sat down to write this, I was in my room charging my lap top and going through some things in my notebook, when all of a sudden she got really quiet. She was in my room going though my drawers when all of a sudden she is no where to be seen or heard. I got up and she wasn't behind my sleigh bed. Instead she was in my closet. Wearing my heels. She'd gone in there so quietly closed the door and was trying on all my shoes. She seemed so surprised that I caught her in there. She seemed to thing if she was quiet enough and she did it behind closed door, no one would know. Of course, I wasn't mad. She looked so cute and told me she wanted slippers like Cinderella. I was more concerned she'd get hurt but I had to take a picture of this little lady before we discussed taking them off.
Now that a few days have passed I can also laugh at something she said. Even though when she said it, I couldn't believe this was coming out of my baby girl's mouth. A few weeks ago, I was in her room hanging clothes in her closet, when she started jumping on her bed with my back turned to her. I turned around and asked her to please stop jumping on her bed. She responded "it's my bed". I explained it was her bed but only for the purpose of sleeping, not of jumping on the bed where she could fall. I continued hanging her clothes turning my back once more. I could hear the mattress springs behind me. She was jumping again. I turned around and said it again. On the third time when I heard her jumping once more I turned around and said "Emeli, I don't want to see you jumping on the bed" and her response had me between laughing so hard it brought tears to my eyes to picturing her as a rebellious teen. She simply said: "Well mom, if you don't want to see me, get out of my room".
How simple. In her 3 year old brain, her jumping on the bed wasn't a problem though she knew it was wrong, instead me seeing her was the problem. And if she only did it out of my sight it wouldn't matter.
This came back in my mind this monday morning as I drove to work. I drive to work before 6am when a lot of lights are still flashing and there's barely any traffic on the road. I was driving a bit above the speed limit and saw a cop car in the middle of the road timing cars coming towards him. I immediately took my foot off the accelerator and started to slow down. I was doing the same thing Emeli was doing! I know speeding is wrong, but if no one is watching me then its okay. In my head, the problem wasn't me speeding, but the cop watching me, timing me and possibly writing me a ticket. And then it hit me. God was trying to teach me a lesson on Character.
Character. A word I so try to instill in my kids. Character: who we are when no one is watching. Its always easy to perform, obey and follow directions when we are being watched by teachers, bosses or people, but very easily we can choose the wrong thing when we feel no one is watching. Doing the wrong thing, we know we are wrong, It causes us to hide, Like Emeli in my closet, behind closed doors, very quietly. We think we can hide our sin....
Why do we feel the need to hide? Because sin brings shame. If it was right it wouldn't matter who's around. We try to pretend the little decisions we make don't matter and won't bring consequences. The problem is once we compromise our character and doing the right thing, we usually keep falling deeper before we realize we have buried ourselves deep into a whole of lies, and deception.
I think about me driving above the speed limit on a daily basis and the fact the only reason I chose to slow down was the fact this cop was watching me and I was afraid of the consequence: a ticket. But had he stopped me, what could I have possibly said to get out of it? Could I have then made up a lie to help me get out of this?
Simple, so simple a 3 year old knows it. When you're doing something wrong you want to hide. Or we simply think that when no one is watching, we can do things that are not necessarily right. But remember your character is built on the decisions and things you do when you're alone. Not for recognition, but simply because its the right thing to do. And God is always watching. It matters what He thinks.
Today I encourage you to evaluate your character. Who are you when you're alone? When your boss is not watching? When the cops are not timing you? When your spouse is not around? When the cashier gives you too much change? I pray you will always be more concerned with what God is watching in you above what others may see. I encourage you to be honest, respectful, and continue to do the right thing wherever you are no matter who you are with or who you aren't with. Don't be like me and try to get there the fast way. Be that example to the little eyes watching you. Endure the temptation ......and as you endure you will start building that character.
Love - Meli
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