The Tantrum

I love you, Mommy!
You’re the best Mommy in the world!
I want to hug you all day!
I love, love, love, love you!

I heard the words of praise coming from another aisle.
This little one was not shy about declaring her love for her Mommy.
Every sentence of praise was met with a response.
Every sentence of praise was answered.

I love you, too!
You’re the best little girl in the world!
I want to hug YOU all day!
I love, love, love, love you!

Giggles abounded.
The little girl seemed to think it was funny to hear her Mommy repeat her words.
The more they were repeated, the more she had to say.
Neither seemed to be getting tired of going back and forth.

Just as I was ready to turn onto the same aisle, the mood turned.
Apparently the little girl wanted her mother to buy her some sort of gooey candy.
Her mother said, No.
All the praise and accolades from moments before were forgotten.

Her mother’s simple, definitive, No, was unacceptable to the little girl.
The tears began.
The kicking of her legs against the shopping cart began.
The volume of her screams increased tremendously.

I don’t love you!
You’re the meanest Mommy in the world!
I don’t want to hug you ever again!
I don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t love you!

The little girl was alone in her tirade.
Her mother did not respond.
I could see the sadness in the mother’s eyes.
Motherhood is tough business.

The cries continued.
The kicking finally stopped.
The screams had worn themselves out.
The gooey candy had been forgotten.

This was not about gooey candy any more.
This was a battle of wills.
This was about winning.
This was about who would be left standing.

I knew who I was secretly cheering for in my heart.
It is hard to be in a public place when a child has a meltdown.
It seems as if everyone is watching.
It seems as if all your dirty laundry is hanging out to dry.

In those moments, you wish a large hole in the floor would swallow you up.
In those moments, you wish for a soundproof booth for you and the people around you.
In those moments, you wish you could just walk away.
You know you love your child but in that moment, you don’t like them very much.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades  will not overcome it.  I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. (Matthew 16:13-20)

Peter said more than he knew.
Peter spoke the words of God.
Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah.
Jesus was so pleased, He blessed Peter.

Soon the mood changed.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” (Matthew 16:21-23)

One minute, Peter was speaking the words of God.
With clarity that can only come from God, Peter confessed Jesus as Messiah.
Minutes later, when Jesus told His disciples what was to happen to Him, Peter objected.
Peter said, No, Lord, and was rebuked by Jesus.

Peter, who was the mouthpiece of God in his confession, now became the mouthpiece of Satan.
That should be a warning to us.
How easy it is for us to use our mouth to praise only to have the mood change.
How easy it is to be the mouthpiece of the enemy rather than the mouthpiece of God.

It can happen in an instant.
It can happen without warning.
It can happen even when we know better.
It can happen to us all.

The little girl’s anger wore itself out.
I love you, Mommy!
You’re the best Mommy in the world.
I want to hug you all day!

I love you, too! The little girl’s mother said ever so tenderly.
It makes Mommy sad when you say mean things.
That is not the way good little girls behave.
It hurts Mommy’s feelings.

I began to understood the interaction between Jesus and Peter even better.
How quickly the mood changes.
Our words can praise God one minute.
Our words can deny Him the next.

The little girl’s outburst made her mother sad.
The little girl’s outburst hurt her mother’s feelings.
Yet, there was forgiveness.
There was restoration.

Our sin hurts God, our Father.
It tears our relationship with Him.
Mending needs to happen.
Forgiveness is waiting for us as long as we come to Him in repentance.

Our sinful tantrums are ugly and we know it.
It is hard to stop ourselves sometime.
Thankfully, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us so our words will bring our Father joy.
At one time or another we all are that little girl.

There is Good News.
Forgiveness and restoration is ours in Christ.
Mending can happen.
Amen.