From the Mouths of Babes

From the mouths of young children come brutal truths about the selfishness and shallowness of humanity. Today we had a 15 minute wait until one child began dancing and the rest of us went to karate. I let the middle child sit on my lap for the whole time, he is snuggly and comfortable and sits still. Also his primary love language is physical touch. He had been a bit grouchy lately so I was filling his love tank. His younger sister asked if she could sit on my lap. I explained there wasn't room for two and it was the other child's turn today. She continued to plead and towards the end began to cry real sad tears. When we left she said it was unfair that she had not had a go.

The whole time I was explaining that I loved both of them and that yesterday the younger child and I had some special time together.

After we got home she was slow and uncooperative and defiant and ended up going to bed in disgrace. After a few minutes I went in to make peace. I asked her if she knew why she was in trouble, then explained, she said sorry I forgave her. Then she reminded me it was unfair that I had cuddled her brother for the whole time. I asked if I had hurt her in her feelings and she nodded and cried again. I said I was very sorry and she forgave me, then tears continued for an hour. They were real, sad, hurt tears. During that hour I explained that I loved all 3 kids and the problem was love amount the problem was lap space. I asked her if I was allowed to love her brothers, she said "no, only love me" ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

I did not know where to go with that...

I think I need to explain how love works, each person does not have a teaspoonful of love and once it is gone there is none left. It is more like a hose, the more that comes out the more there is. Taking the analogy further, we could say that God is the water source of love and he never runs out and has plenty to share with EVERYONE.

At this juncture of the conversation her mother came in and I was rescued.

 I did begin to wonder though if this is our secret attitude about our friends love for people other then us, our families love for people other then us and God's love for people other then us. Do we believe we are the only people worth loving and capable of love? That people we don't like for whatever reason should not be loved as deeply as us?