Mirror Image

My daughter waltzes through the living room, dancing to the beat of her own drum, telling a story within a melody only she knows.  All of life is her stage and I find myself clapping right along to the rhythm, laughing and smiling as one dramatic performance leads to the next.

And then, just as quickly as her feet began to dance across the floor, her song takes a new turn, down the paths of discontent and selfish pride.  She wants to spread her wings and soar on her own, but only on her terms.  When things don't go as planned, she stomps her feet, purses her lips in a frown, and voices her frustration in a steady stream of complaints.

I stand there dumbfounded for a moment, still captivated by the lively storytelling of our tiny dancer and wondering how she could so quickly jump from a cheerful melody to the dark tone of a woeful ballad.  I quickly find my voice, but, just as swiftly, my patience wears thin and my mood becomes just as sour.  I rebuke in words that are filled with the same discontent and selfish pride.  

And then, before I can even finish my this steady stream of ugly words, I realize I am staring straight into a mirror.  Because the very thing I am rebuking my daughter for is the thing that I am most guilty of myself.  For all have sinned and I am no exception.  

I have never before understood so fully my need for grace than in mothering my daughter.  I wonder sometimes who is learning more, the parent or the child.  Because the more I train my daughter to serve Him, the more I realize I am still in training myself.  

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ..."

(2 Peter 3:18)