As the day goes on, my heart holds that same love for my child, although it may look more like correction and direction than warm snuggles.
There have even been incidences when a child went straight from being loved on by me, to being irritated with a sibling. For example, they may kiss me right before they move onto fussing at their sibling for taking up too much room on the couch.
What happened to all the love we just shared? Is it gone? Was it fake? No, it is still there; the child just needs help transferring my love for him/her to others. A maturing is happening, it just isn’t perfected.
So I love this child as much with correcting their fussing, as I do with giving snuggles. A reminder of, “Child, ask your sibling kindly for room to sit and patiently wait for them to answer” is how I pour down love in this situation.
This scenario is replayed in my life. It happens when I have sweet fellowship in my quiet time, only to then walk into an immediate frustration and respond poorly. My inner feeling is of defeat—do I even have a relationship with Jesus? I went from warm closeness with my Savior, to crabby Mama, in less than ten steps. How can He even love me?
Jesus does love me, just as I love my child when they leave my lap. The conviction I feel is God’s correction. It is not meant to defeat me, but to mature me! My job is to respond to His love in correction with the desire to learn and not defeat.
Just as I want my children to respond quickly and cheerfully to my correction, so I am guessing my Heavenly Father wants me to not pout, but rather change course and move on.