How God feels when we cry…

Wanted this week to share this post my wife, Amy, had the other week on her blog. I am a blessed man to have a woman that hears from God and is not afraid to share it with others enjoy.

“…May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height. To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; and you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” -Eph.3:18-19

Today I believe I got a glimpse of how God feels when we, his children, are sad/upset even hurt.
EJ was really rowdy yesterday after school and I had warned him several times yesterday about running in the church, being loud, etc. He unfortunately had gotten in trouble yesterday and I told him that he was not allowed to go in our Chapel to play today after school. He was restricted to our nurseries.

He seemed to be rowdy again today after school. You know, I was really thinking after not being in school for a week, going back would make him tired and worn out … I was wrong! To have the energy of a 6 year old boy – the things I would accomplish!

Unfortunately, his energy got the worse of him today and he had one time out after “play wrestling” and kicking someone, within 15 minutes of being out of school. Soon after that, I hear some noise coming out of the chapel. Yes, the chapel that he was told not to be in yesterday. So here I am, wanting him 1. to listen to me the first time he is told to do something and 2. a little frustrated now that I have spent more time having to correct him in the first 30 minutes he has been out of school than doing anything else … so I do the only thing I can think of.

TIME OUT … yes the dreaded time out scene. It was horrible, instantly the tears came rolling.
And instead of EJ taking his time out peacefully, I continued to battle, yes battle, him over the reason of his being punished.

And I know the I was mean, harsh, and that he could tell I was frustrated with him. And he after 15 minutes of crying said he understood finally why he was being put in time out, but didn’t understand why he couldn’t play. (I am sure everyone else in the church knew the same too).

Anyway to make my point. I finally told EJ we were leaving, that there would be no tv tonight because of his actions — well that was it. The world had come to an end. If you thought making him sit on the floor was rough, you should see what happened when ‘no tv’ was spoken.
I listened to sniffles and crys almost the whole way home. And I know that I got to play the bad guy today. I sure felt like it.

I was harsh with him, I punished him for disobeying me. I asked Curtis before I left church, if I was right in what I was doing .. I knew I needed him to know what he did was wrong – but boy did I feel like poo for doing it. I want to be the parent that he loves and has fun with, not the one that makes him cry, sit in time outs, and takes the tv away from him.
And that got me thinking …

Here I am, feeling like poo because I hear my child crying. His feelings are hurt, he is embarrassed, he’s sad … he’s crying. And all the frustration inside me melts away and all I really want to do is stop the car, get out, hug him and tell him I love him. I want to let him watch all the tv in the world tonight, if that will make him smile…

And as I run the entire scene in my head, seeing what I can learn from and what can be done differently next time – this pops in my head – Is this how God feels when we cry?

We cry for many reasons, but even as an adult we get upset when we don’t get our way. Maybe you asked God for something and He said no, maybe He didn’t answer. Have you done something wrong and had consequences from that mistake? And don’t we get the attitude when this happens at times?

Do you throw a tantrum, cry hysterically, display “the world is ending” attitude?
Have you ever once thought about what God is feeling when we act that way? Honestly, it is not something I have ever thought about until today. And boy did I have that feeling today. Here EJ was upset because he was being punished, by me, and I still wanted to just wrap my arms around him and love him and make it all better.

BUT
I didn’t. I didn’t get out and hug him. He has not watched tv tonight and will not. Because although my love for him is great, I want him to understand the lesson.
As adults, we are human, we make mistakes, we lie, we fail … and whether we know it or not. God is always right there in the driver seat. He’s with us during those times and all He wants to do is love us. But where would be without correction in our life, where would we be if everything we ever asked for was given.

I thank God for the experience I had today. He let me see a little more of Him today. I know He loves us, but I understood Him a little more today. We are His children, and with children there comes times of correction and its hurts both the Father and child.

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39″

Written by Amy Jones www.amylynnjones.wordpress.com/ 
Posted on 1/5/2012