Patience

Lately Hudson has been needing his Mom. It's possible that he's cutting a molar in the back of his mouth, or maybe its just a new cycle that at this stage in his life he really wants her. At times its been tough because he has wanted his Mom to do everything, and really doesn't want me. He doesn't want me to hold him, play with him, or even read to him before bed (our nightly routine is that I put him to bed). This rejection has not been absolute, I can wear him down to finding me fun or entertaining (I've developed different voices when we read certain books that he finds humorous).

I've wanted to throw my hands up and say forget it from time to time, and patience is not always the easiest thing for me to practice. It's hard to be patient when he doesn't want you, when he cries when you pick him up or begin to read to him.

This situation has made me pause and think of God's patience with us. Certainly there are differences, but I think some similarities as well. God's love was displayed not for children crying out to Him, longing for Him, but to rebels running from Him. Sinners who wanted nothing to do with Him. Despite their rejection God loved them, and is patient with them desiring a relationship forever with them.

Fatherhood, and parenting as a whole should be a challenge in view of the New Testament. When we see God the Father's devotion to rebels and sinners, do we not have the same responsibility to imitate His love, patience, and faithfulness to our children?

Certainly my love for Hudson is rubbish in comparison with the love of our Heavenly Father. Yet it still remains the standard that I should always strive to achieve. In imitating it I pray I am guiding my son Hudson to a recognition of his own fallenness, and point him to the person of Christ, the provision given by our patient Heavenly Father...

2 Peter 3:9

J