Spilled Milk

Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't cry over spilled milk"? Well there was crying at our house last night over spilled milk. Last night at dinner time my precious almost 3 year old daughter spilled her milk. Now if it had been an accident there would have been no problem, but the spill was not an accident. It was blatant disobedience.

As we were finishing up dinner last night, my daughter picked up her glass of milk. I told her to be careful and make sure she doesn't spill her milk. She looked directly at me, gave a little smirk and poured her milk out all over the table. Believe me when I say the punishment was swift and effective. After a few tears, I went over to where she was sitting, in the time out chair and we had a little chat. I told her that mommy and daddy loved her very much, but that she had to obey us. I told her that it was okay if she knocked her drink over by accident, but what she did tonight was not an accident. I told her that even when she did not want to and even when it was not fun or fair, she still had to obey mommy and daddy. We hugged really tight, said I love you and went on with dinner...and life went on.

After last night it made me think about boundaries, sin, obedience and love. When Adam and Eve were living in the Garden of Eden, they were living in perfection. Perfection of bodies, perfection of love, perfection of food, perfection in their relationship with the Lord. Everything they would ever want or need was provided for them, in complete protection, peace and perfection. All God asked of them was to be obedient, and not obedient to hundreds of thousands of rules, but to just one rule. That rule was to not eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet, just like my daughter last night with the milk did, they doubted God's words. They paused, thought about it and maybe even smirked a little, and took a big, juicy bite of the fruit. In an instant, perfection, protection and peace was ripped away from them and sin, pain, hurt, heartache, toil, troubles and destruction entered into the world...and continues even today.

Why do I want my daughter at even a young age be obedient to the rules of our household. It is not because I am mean, or like being the boss or want to take away some joy from her life. No not at all! I want only good things for her and the boundaries are set up to teach her, guide her and protect her. That is how our Heavenly Father looks at us. His rules and regulations are not set up to steal our joy in living but they are there to protect us.