"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness & peace for those who have been trained by it...." Hebrews 12:11
She rounded the corner back by the deli, she could feel the weight of fatigue leaning against her arm. Naptime was approaching early today for her youngest. She pressed the shopping cart forward a little faster, knowing the moments of contentment were fleeting quickly.
His eyes met hers for a brief moment, a kind smile on his face.
She offered back a knowing smile as she quickly walked by.
The fatigue in her youngest had now settled into all of them, as they rounded into the last stretch of isles.
There he was again.
This time his smile was missing.
Of course it was.
They were a far cry from a pleasant sight.
Patience, perseverance, and peace had departed them all.
An inevitable meltdown was brewing.
Everyone around her knew it as well as she did.
She felt a sinking feeling as she headed toward the checkout.
The checkout isles were busy.
Waiting was inevitable.
She found her place in line as the sinking feeling grew.
Her youngest grew louder, protesting the change in his mothers focus, as she and the others began unloading the cart. As they finished up, she went to try to comfort her youngest, although she now was burning inside. She glanced up. There he was again. Kind smile still missing, now busying himself with browsing the checkout candy. Why did he have to choose this line? There were others!
Just then the "I wants..." began. One lead to another and it spread faster than an infectious disease.
Her sinking feeling was gone.
Now she was drowning.
She could feel him looking at her over her shoulder. She hesitated in her response, and their demands grew. She had never gave in at the checkout when her children were behaving like this before, but today she was condsidering it.
She knew it would bring a moment of peace.
Sweet peace.
He saw her hesitation. He knew the battle well. It had been years, but he had fought the same one. The grandpa in him wanted to cave for her, but wisdom in him knew it would only be short lived. So he prayed instead. "Lord, help her to choose the greater, and reward them at a better time...."
Fortunately, it was their turn to move up to the register.
Out of sight.
Out of mind.
....she hoped.
She pressed the cart forward. The whining grew louder. Somehow, she gathered her thoughts and resolve. "I would be happy to get you a treat sometime, but I can't when you have been behaving like this," she said.
There she said it.
She stood up a little taller.
Now if she could find the strength to actually see it through.
The spirit of rejection that was pressing down on her shoulder went back to find it's favorite striking place. The last few isles. It wouldn't have to wait long.
But it wasn't enough.
There were two.
Another had joined her at the checkout.
It was still pressing down on her other shoulder.
The whining turned from pouting to tears quickly. As she loaded up her cart to exit as quickly as possible, she felt him touch her shoulder. "Ma'am..." he said. As she blinked heavily, she pivoted around slowly.
"I just wanted to tell you that your doing a great job." he said. "I know it doesn't feel like it in moments like these, but you did the right thing."
"Thanks." she said.
She stood up a little taller.
He opened his wallet and handed the older kids a bill. "Next time, when your mom says it's okay, you may have a treat on me.... but you have to be good helpers, and behave well first. I believe you can do it. Not just in the store, but all the way home too."
"Yes, sir...." they replied.
The light was too much for it. The second spirit that had met her at the checkout flew away out the door. It wasn't going to waste it's time there, when it knew another battle would be close at hand in the parking lot. It would wait there.
She finished loading her bags.
Her youngest was still a mess.
But she was no longer burning up inside anymore.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12
