Who's in Charge?

It's been a rough day at this homeschooling family's home. Some days are like that. Math was hard, student's attitude got harder, and finally Mom's attitude got the hardest.

That's when I sent the student to her room and put my hands together in prayer. Almost immediately, I was nudged to take the girl a notebook and a pencil, so I did. And I told her that when she had written (whatever she wanted), she was to bring it to me.

She did.

I read it.

My heart broke...

I know that helpless, hopeless, worthless feeling that she was expressing. I've been there. Feeling dumb. Feeling unimportant. Feeling like nothing...

So I pulled her into my lap and told her that I love her, even when I'm mad. Always. Forever. There is nothing she could do to lose my love. Nothing.

Then I went on, again nudged by God: I told her that when she feels that worthless feeling, she needs to remember three things:

1) It's temporary. Everyone feels bad sometimes, but it doesn't last forever. It's a temporary feeling that should be treated as temporary.

2) Satan loves to whisper these things into our sadness, our anger, our worry, our lives. They are lies! I gave her some "Truths" to counter those lies, including "You are a precious child of God, and He loves you."

3) You are never alone to deal with this. Dad and I love you more than words could ever say, and your birth mom and birth dad love you that much, too. And God loves you and is with you always.

That little one snuggled in, sobbing, for a while. Then she apologized for her attitude and I apologized for mine. We cuddled a little longer, then she popped up and said,

"Well, Satan's not in charge!"

and proceeded to tear the paper out of the notebook. She said, "I know what I'll do to him (Satan)!" and she ripped that paper full of lies to shreds.

I gave her a high-five and hugged her, then we went back to the math.