Eyelashes on my cheeks

She looked up at me with her big, round blue eyes. She was fluttering her eyelashes, not really blinking. She looked so innocent. She said what she needed to say and walked off.

Let me rewind to fifteen minutes before the fluttering.

Morgan had been going on and on and on and on last night about a "situation" in her world.

This is a side note here, but I must tell you that I am learning not to scuff off these "situations" not matter how trivial or pointless they may seem to me...in her world, they are HUGE. Not taking the time to sit and listen to every detail would result in her not sharing with me which would be...devastating for the future. (Cue Cat's in the Cradle by Harry Chapin and insert here.)

So, she went on. "This girl did this and then she said that and then..."

I listened, I nodded, I agreed. (For the most part.) Towards the end, when she was telling me how she reacted to this other little girl doing this and then saying that, I felt the nudging of the Holy Spirit to say to this beautiful little creation of mine,

" I hear what you are saying. Wow. That must have been very frustrating for you. I am so sorry that this girl has hurt you." Then the pause. I went in for the kill.

"Would you like to have some advice?"

This is where it happened. The fluttering. The big, round blue eyes thing. Here's what followed.

"Not if its about me."

"Oh." I said.

Just a few words. But, this was a game changer. She walked away. No... she RAN away as if she was running from the boogie man. Okay. Point taken.

I am sure that the parenting books would tell me that I missed an "teaching opportunity" with her, but to be honest, the teaching was done BY her to my own heart from my own Heavenly Father and the point was taken.

The goal in sharing that little story wasn't too (necessarily) exploit my child, but to tell you how thankful I am for the whispers of God in my ears. Times like these where He is asking me to respond.

I woke up this morning thinking about that story and praying that I am never too old, too wise, to "full of it" to be in a position for my Heavenly Father to say to me, "Here's some advice..." and for my hard heart to be soft to His tender leading in my life in such a way that I desire for him to expose my weaknesses.

Truthfully, I am personally much more comfortable with the role of teacher that I am with the one of student. James exposes the problem with that mentality in the 3rd chapter of his book when he said,

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. "

How thankful I am that the changing of my inward man is being done by the Holy Spirit of God (1 John 2). As I abide in Him, He points out areas in my life where I should change grow and bloom.

How often, though I flutter my eyes up to my Heavenly Father after He has revealed a truth to me, through His Word, or through his tools and I walk away because I just came to Him to be HEARD, I didn't come to be CHANGED.

How many times have I missed out on the richness of His loving, guiding teaching because I set MYSELF up as the teacher.

Lord, give me ears to HEAR your truth and the meekness to RESPOND.