The voice of God...

Last night I heard the voice of God speak to me. I had sent Elijah to his room because he would not listen to me; however, after sending him I realized I had done it mostly out of my own frustration. So I walked to his room to release him from "doing time." As I arrived outside his door, I heard him wailing and weeping. I walked into his room and sat down on the bed next to him and just let him cry. I couldn't really talk over the weeping and gnashing of teeth, so I just kept waiting. He carried on and on, not knowing I was there to release him. He wouldn't stop crying and as I waited for him, I heard God speaking a lesson to me.

I heard him say, "Jami, you're like this a lot." See when bad or tough things happen, I have a tendency to wail on and on. I have a tendency to get stuck in my pain and my misery. As I sat there waiting for Eli to quite down long enough for me to get in the words, "You can come out of your room." I thought.... he is wasting so much time with this wallowing. He could already be outside by the bonfire. I wondered how much time I have wasted wallowing in my pain. Over the years, I'm sure I've wasted months just crying and wailing and carrying on. "Hmmmm..." I thought , "I would have MUCH rather been out at the bonfire."

Finally, his sobbing quieted down enough for me to get a word in edgewise and I said, "You may go outside." He jumped up (apparently the sobbing was mostly crocodile tears) and raced out to the fire. I sat there realizing that it was I who had received the discipline that night. I was grateful God had taken the time to instruct me. I determined to spend less time wallowing and more time looking for the lesson so I, too, can be more quickly released from "doing time."