From a mother's perspective

This week I had one of those special, eye opening moments with my sweet boy Jack and I thought I'd share here.

On Monday morning as we are getting ready to head out for the day, I had taken a green publix bag (you know those reusable ones?) and had filled it with random items I wanted to bring along in the car.

As I am finishing it up, Jack comes up to me and takes the bag from me and yells out 'Mine!!'

He proceeded to take out all the items out into the floor until the bag was completely empty. He starts repeating over and over again 'Mine, mine, mine!!' with a very serious and almost mean look on his face.

He put the bag on his shoulder, put his arm up in the air, and then twisted his wrist back. It took everything I had in me not to LAUGH in front of him! It looked like he was holding a man purse and he was quite proud of it.

I wasn't quite sure what to do at this point, but at least I did keep a serious face and not laughed with him to encourage his behavior.

I got up from my chair to go over and talk with him, and he inmediately jumped back and started running the opposite way.

I walked behind him, and he started running faster. Then he did something he hasn't done before. He ran and hid from me.

I found him trying to hide behind the bed of our master bedroom. As I approached him, he continue yelling louder and louder 'Mine, mine, mine!!'. It was almost as if he was posessed. I mean what was so special about an old, dirty, broken in many places green publix bag?

I realized three things right then.

First, that just because Jack really REALLY wants something to belong to him, doesn't actually make it his.

Second, I realized that he would not have been able to win this battle. I had the power to take the bag away from him anytime I wanted. He was not in control.

Then I realized that his bad attitude really made me want to take the bag back. The more he yelled out 'mine!!', the more I wanted to take it bag. A good attitude would have made all the difference.

I chose to extend grace and let him keep the bag. I walked over to him and said 'Jack, I will let you keep the bag if you ask for it with kindness and stop yelling out mine. Otherwise I am going to take it back'. Which he quickly did, and then I went on to find another bag to use for the day.

I was thankful for this moment with my son. I don't know if I could've handled the situation better, but I handled it as best as I could.

I was reminded of this reflection of our relationship with our heavenly Father. That all things belong to him, no matter how badly I want to hold on to them. I was reminded of how silly I must look to him when I really want to keep something and have a bad attitude about it.

And I am thankful for the moments when He chooses to extend grace.