Love Wins Because It Never Fails

The other day my little guy Teague was in a sour mood, which is hard to imagine because he's the most pleasant toddler I've had, by far. He was disgruntled about something (it escapes me now) and was shuffling over to the stove to tell me about his issue. (Something about something with Taryn sounds about right...) He said he was going to be a mean boy about it, though. (That means he's going to be stinky and get mad about something. He warns us :)) I said, "No, you shouldn't be a mean boy." He then told me that he was going to be a mean boy to me for saying that to him! Then he made the smallest, cutest fist with the sweetest, softest little boy hands and took at swing at my thigh. Normally, a parent (perhaps myself a few years ago) would take a rigid approach and say something along the lines of, "How dare you hit me!" and all that jazz. However, I felt the Holy Spirit speaking to my heart to just wait a moment and to teach him something about His ways.

So, I allowed my precious little boy to sock me in the thigh (I made sure not to laugh at how gentle it was) as I stood above him, fixing dinner over the stove top. He looked up at me and tried to read my expression as I stood over him. I smiled and said, "I love you, Teague."

He looked down at my thigh and repeated his clench, swing and hit but this time a bit harder. Looking up again he met my eyes and I smiled and said, "I love you, Teague. Even when you hit me, I still love you." Then he ran off real quick-like (I thought he had grown frustrated but...nope) and came back with an empty aluminum foil roll (his make-shift light saber) and began to whip the back of my knees with it. Whomp, whomp, whomp with all his might and then a look up into my face, yet again.

"Teague, no matter what you do to me, I win. I'm love."

He looked confused at first and so I expounded.

"Love is better than mean so, I win! Love always beats mean so I win!"

He slipped away from me as I continued to cook dinner and when I found him again he was the kind and gentle boy I know most days. I prayed that the Holy Spirit would do a work in his young heart. I was able to see a quick return on that prayer last night while lying in bed with my little brother bear.

We were talking about all sorts of things under the sun but of course some talk of soldiers came in, and about how Teague wears his armor and kills all the bad guys. (I love this valor in boys) He says to me with total conviction, "Mom, I kill all the bad guys. You know why? Because I'm love and love wins." My heart almost leaped out of my chest because that little guy's spirit heard the words of truth that day and received them as such. I said to him, "That's right, son! Love always wins and you are love because Jesus is love and He's inside of you!" And then we tweaked the killing part a little bit w/the concept being that the way you beat the bad guys is to turn them into good guys...no need to kill them :P He loved that idea even more!

So, thank you LORD for revealing the power of LOVE to a 3 year old! Would you do it in the hearts of your adult children, too?!