One of my favorite quotes from the experience:
I was sitting on the couch nursing Camden, and Kyle was in the bathroom with Kendrick trying to get him to go potty in the potty. We promised him colored marshmallows as an incentive for going in the potty, and Kendrick really wanted to get one of those. I heard him pass some gas and say, "I tooted, Daddy! I tooted!"
Kyle replied, "Toots are good, but they don't count."
I was laughing so hard at this. Ahh, the things you find yourself saying to your children that you never thought you would say.
Kendrick and I had a sweet moment the other day during this whole process. He had been whining and complaining a lot and I sat down to talk with him about it.
"Kendrick, you are whining and God says that we're not to whine but we're to be full of joy."
"No Mommy, not full of joy. No joy."
"I see that you're not full of joy. Did you know that makes God unhappy?" As I was talking to him I was convicted that I had not been very joyful that day either.
"Mommy hasn't been full of joy today either, has she?" I asked.
"No, Mommy, no joy."
My heart dropped as I realized that my attitude and actions hadn't been pleasing to God either. How quickly I forget that I need to be exemplifying Christ to my sons as we go throughout our day. "Will you forgive Mommy for not being joyful?"
"Yes, Mommy, I 'give you," Kendrick replied as he wrapped his little arms around my neck. We prayed together then. We prayed that God would fill our hearts with joy even though we didn't feel joyful. And then we sang some songs together about joy.
And do you know what? It worked! After confessing our sin to each other, praying to God for help, and then rehearsing who God is through song, we were both joyful.
Ephesians 4:22-24
"that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."
A photo of my non-potty trained 2-year-old that God is using to make me more like Him.
2 comments:
Aww Christie! I loved this post! We're potty training Cody starting Monday and I think we are all ready - at least I think we are! But I really loved how you confessed your sin to each other - I remember the first time I did that to my kids and it was quite the moment to remember. Keep it up mom, your kids will definitely understand your humanness and their own sinfulness so much better! Good job mom! :0)
Oh, potty training is so hard - Z is 3 yrs and 1.5 months & NOT potty trained - we have tried 3 times & like you said, he's gone to the bathroom everywhere EXCEPT the potty!!!! So frustrating! His pediatrician told me boys sometimes train closer to 4, so I'm waiting until HE decides he's ready!!! :)
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