Parable Under the Pillow

Perhaps you would be surprised at the amount of sin that dwells in this house. Perhaps not if you understand God's word and know that where there are many people there is much sin. One thing that surprises me about sin is that it is in a child from the beginning. It begins to manifest itself in different forms as the child grows. If not dealt with properly and appropriately at the right age it morphs itself into an ugly monster that is extremely difficult to deal with. The sins in a little person are far easier to deal with then the sin of a grown person.

Jake and I were shocked recently to discover that Silas had been stealing candy from the candy bowl. When I say steal it may sound harsh, after all the candy jar sits on the bar and all are welcome to a piece of it every now and then. If you are a little person you must ask first and if you are big you must use self control and be mindful of your neighbor. Well, our little Silas had been taking a piece or two as he was able and then hiding them under his pillow. At night he'd snack on them and throw the trash under his bed when he was all finished. It's amazing because it's outright thievery. He had it down to a science; grab the candy when no one is looking, hide the candy under the pillow, eat the candy during the course of what should be peaceful slumber, and then throw the trash under the bed when finished. When Jake and I realized that something was amiss, Silas continuously was waking up with chocolate stains on his lips and chocolate drool across his cheek, we asked him about it. His countenance fell and he was greatly ashamed. We marveled at how advanced his sin had become and we counseled him and gave him appropriate consequences.

If Silas was our first born we might have hid the candy bowl as that would be the easy course of action, but we now have many more people in the house who aren't stealing the candy and who know to ask.  Experience and wisdom have shown us that it is better to leave the candy bowl out in the open and train him to not steal, teach him to ask, and show him that he can trust us to give him good things. This all takes time of course, but it is good to train the heart now.

I do marvel at sin, it is clear that Jake and I didn't teach him to steal and how to do it well. It was there in his heart all along. I'm thankful for the discovery. Just as the Lord chastens those He loves, we as parents chasten our children whom we love whom we have been given from God. Blessed be His name!