After church today, I was approached by a woman I recognized but don’t really know very well.  She had no idea the impact her words were about to make on my heart and neither did I when she started with a disclaimer, “Okay, so I want you to know that I wasn’t stalking you the other day, but I saw you in Hobby Lobby….”

My mind immediately started swimming.  Hobby Lobby.  Last week.  100th Day of School Project for Jonah.  Hour-and-a-half trip with my kids to the one place that has traditionally been met with great opposition, screaming, tantrums, frustration, and a completely frazzled Mommy who has to ask herself for the four-billionth time, “WHY DO I TRY TO COME HERE WITH MY KIDS???!”  Right.  Hobby Lobby. Last week.  The trip that had me wanting to pull my hair out by the time we were finished.  I remember.
{pause}
Oh no.  What’s she about to tell me?

“…when your daughter fell and hurt herself on that shelf?”

Riiiiiiiight.  Do I EVER remember that moment??  The moment my daughter, out of sheer disobedience, fell and scraped her back on a shelf and spiraled into an uncontrollable screaming fit that most assuredly cleared the aisles around us or caused women to stare, judge, roll their eyes, or want to pull their own hair out.  I was just like, “REALLY?  Is this REALLY happening?  Again? What is our Hobby Lobby curse?”  Yes, I remember that moment well.

“And, I want you to know that I was just so impressed with the way you handled that situation.  That was an all-too-familiar situation, having little ones myself, and you handled it so beautifully.  You really inspired me.  It was truly wonderful, and I wanted to tell you that.”

And that’s when it hit me.

It’s happening.
It’s really  happening!!

The glory to GLORY!  It’s happening.  The sanctifying grace of Jesus really is at work to yield righteousness and good fruit in my life, even in my mothering.

I replayed the events in my mind and I do remember that, despite my internal frustrations, I calmly went to Lexi and comforted her because I could tell that she really had hurt herself and wasn’t just causing a scene (although she certainly was doing that, as well!)  After applying love and comfort, snuggles and kisses (my girl is a “physical touch” girl, for those who understand Love Languages), I gently informed her that her injury occurred due to misbehavior so she would have to ride in the basket.  She argued relentlessly, and I patiently applied my “I understands” and “I hear ya’s” reminding her a couple of more times that her choice was what landed her in the basket and that I was really sorry she chose to disobey.

I’ll be honest. I was beginning to wonder, there for awhile, about the glory to glory transformation, particularly with regards to my mothering.  I asked on more than one occasion, “Will I ever stop being so short-fused with my kids?”

So, for the longest time, I was in this struggle.  I felt like the apostle Paul when he said “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15)  I was constantly getting angry about things with my kids, and I even resigned myself to believing a lie that the fruit of patience just must not be for me.

I find it a little amusing that one of the things that has traditionally set me off the quickest has been when one of my kids has spilled a cup of milk.  I mean, whoever said there is no use in crying over spilled milk??  That stuff STINKS!  And it ruins your carpet.  We have shed many a tear over spilled milk in this house.

I’ll be honest, I have outright yelled at God, “I don’t know what You want me to do, God!  I cannot do this on my own, and yet I’m not seeing any changes!  So what am I supposed to do??  What are YOU going to do about this??  I need Your help!”

It’s felt like a long road.  One in which I’ve worried that I’m ruining my kids, but in which fear of ruining my kids takes a back seat to anger in the heat of a frustrating moment.

But, then it happened.  My daughter freaked out for the umpteenth time in Hobby Lobby, and I didn’t get mad.

And about a week later, she spilled an entire glass of red wine on my light tan carpet (which somehow or another she has never ever done — maybe because the Lord just…knew) and I didn’t get mad.

And the very next day, she dumped a glass of milk on the carpet (for the first time in quite awhile), and I patiently cleaned it up as I tenderly told her the importance of being careful.

And that night, while we had our art projects spread across our kitchen table, she (in disobedience) knocked an entire glass of water over, onto everything. And, I firmly but patiently scolded her and told her she needed to get a towel and clean it up.

And then this morning after church, a woman I hardly knew came up to me.  She had no idea the impact her words were going to make on my heart.

She noticed.

And so I notice.

It’s happening.
It’s really happening.

All glory to God — the One Who IS transforming us “from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Keep contending.  In whatever personal battle you’re facing — don’t give up.  Keep contending.  Transformation is coming!