during this trip home to florida i have had some great quality time with my family, and my sister and her family. i always love being home spending time with them but this trip home, i have learned a little something.

i’ve learned all about a stage that all kids go through. a stage we call, the terrible twos. i have a little nephew who is turning 3 in february and he got me thinking about this terrible two stage and why kids go through it.

could it be because at the ages of 2 and 3 kids grow into the sinful nature we were all born into? because kids ages 2 and 3 cannot fully understand Jesus and the cross? so often i found myself getting mad at joe joe for the dumbest things when all the while he is acting the same way i would be if i didn’t know Jesus. selfish, talking back, throwing things, not sharing, screaming, running wild…everything. normal things that everyone would do if we didn’t have something / Someone inside of us to tell us not to. its hard because all that joey has heard from me these days is, “joey no” “joey sit still” “joey calm down” joey not that close” “joey, nice nice” he only hears everything that he does wrong and that breaks my heart. like any little kid, joey has no bad intentions, he’s just a kid, and 9 times out of 10 there is nothing wrong with that and i am the one to blame for always being on his case.

i dont really have a purpose in this post other then, my heart has moved from wanting to always say “no” to joe joe to wanting to say “Jesus loves you joe joe”.

dont get me wrong here. i am not saying dont discipline your children. i am a strong advocate of that. i am just saying, we need to find that fine line of knowing when your child is acting terrible two and when your child is living lost (without Jesus). i believe there is a clear distinction. i think parents try to teach there kids manners and how to behave as a mature kid before they teach there kids about Christ. again, in my opinion there is a fine line as well. kids need to be taught for sure, but they need just as many Jesus lessons as life lessons.

now, i’m not a parent so ultimately i really know nothing about this. its just an observation. an observation i’m happy i’m learning before i have kids. now, i love my nephew joe joe and cannot wait to sit back and see the man of God he grows up to be. i’m looking at him right now as he is playing with his play-doh and he is making play-doh fish and so excited about what he is doing. my dad, who is playing with him just said, “you’re the fish maker aren’t you joe?” joe joe said, “yup”. i cannot wait to see him in 20 years out in this world being a fisher of men, changing this world everyday for the cause of Christ.

go get’m joe joe!

here is a pic of joey and his play-doh fish…