Why the scrunched up nose?

Those who believe that humans are inherently good (and are simply innocent victims, learning bad behavior from society) have obviously never had children(or they just didn't pay much attention to detail). I love my little guy, but it is so obvious to me that he has a little sinful heart. "What a terrible thing to say about your child!" some of you might be thinking. Well, it is terrible, and it pains me to think that my adorable son has a sinful heart that needs fixing. I just pray that God will give Dan and I the grace to love him as he grows and learns about his sinful heart and the only hope he has for fixing it.

Let's face it. We all think to ourselves "life is about me". If we aren't honest enough to say it about ourselves, we are definitely living that way with the exception of those few moments when God convicts us and uses us for purposes other than ourselves. Elijah definitely lives this way. "But he's just a little baby, he doesn't know any better!" HA! Proof that we are inherently sinful! Without even knowing, at the beginning of our lives, we live as if the world should cater to us. Elijah demands that I pick him up when he wants to be picked up. He squeals with discontent if I ever dare to walk past him, even if it's so that I can make him lunch.

My favorite is when he scrunches his nose and breaths heavily with anger. He does this when he has truly been "offended". Offenses might include (but are not limited to): taking away something he has possessed, trying to help him with something during a moment of independence (a toy, a bite of food, a drink from the sippy cup), putting him down for a nap, changing his diaper, washing his hair, and at times, simply bringing your hand within a 10 mile radius of the object he has just acquired.


So why the scrunched up nose? Well, I hate to say it, but in his cute little peach fuzzed head, he is thinking "how dare you mother! don't you know that I am entitled to posses and enjoy every object I can lay my chubby dimpled fingers on? i am the boss. now let me have the potentially dangerous object and pick me up while you're at it!" SIN.

This is an issue that keeps me up at night. It was easy to think of Eli as a precious perfect baby when he was 2 months old. I could sleep well at night thinking (foolishly) that my son would never have to deal with pain brought on by sin. These days, with more and more scrunched up nose occurrences, I am faced with the reality of raising a sinner.

What can I do?

Be honest. I love watching families here on ABC campus discipline their children. Many of them use the "black heart" phrase, making sure that their child understands that his/her bad behavior stems from an internal condition we all have in common: sin. I want Elijah to know that he is not perfect and that the world does not revolve around him. I want him to know that he belongs to the One who created him and the entire universe. I want him to know that there is forgiveness and healing for his little black heart. And I want him to know that God loves him and wants to use him for His glory. But I cannot give him all of these wonderful truths (although painful at times) if I am unwilling to see that my baby is a sinner.

As we come out of the 'easy' stage of parenting and slowly enter into the disciplining/child rearing stage, please pray that we would be gracious parents who are quick to admit our sins (I am still working on that...) and quick to guide our son toward repentance and forgiveness with our God.