Signs of the Times

I'm a visual learner.  I think in pictures.  This I've found is especially true in my relationship with God.  I didn't realize this until I started dating my future husband.  It was amazing to have someone who was in love with me and wanted to be with me no matter what bad mood or life craziness was happening.  The picture of God wooing his people and desiring to be with them took on a deeper meaning.  Then we were married and the pictures of Jesus as a groom coming to take his bride the church home with him was awe inspiring.   As a sister I could picture Christ as a brother and even found ways to learn from our "slave" experience.  You won't believe how many references there are to slaves, slavery or freedom in the Bible until you feel like you're a slave!  Now as a parent I see God as my Father in my parenting role.  I try to relate this time of my life to my relationship with God, as I try to do in the other relationships around me. It's not that each stage ends it's that it deepens and becomes more layered.

As a parent you learn to read signs.  When Joanna starts rubbing her eye with one fist and fingering her blanket's fringe with her other hand you know you've got to get that one into bed or a meltdown is coming.  If you see a scrunched up face with concentration you know a "muddy" diaper (thank you Sally Fields- Steel Magnolias anyone?) is going to be your next project.  With Lydia boredom leads to destruction and with Joanna if she's tired you have to isolate her or she'll get stimulated by a noise or sister and take longer getting calmed down.  If Lydia hears another child within a mile radius you know she's going to run to the backdoor and yell, "My friends are here!" no matter whether she can go outside or not (i.e. no clothes on, meal time, about to head out the door etc.).  Once you learn to read the signs you can help the situation.

I wonder if God sees some of my signs and starts the intervention process.  He knows that when I watch that movie I'm heading down the path of disrespect toward my husband or if I look at those home decorating magazines my green eyed goblin is going to start hinting that bigger and more expensive is better.  He knows that the temptation to stay up late watching movies or reading is going to lead to a tired mama llama whose tendency is to be less than patient the next morning or that hanging out with certain friends will lead toward gossip. 

I've learned with the girls how to divert and distract when signs of an impending thunderstorm start to brew.  I wonder in what way God distracts me. . .but then I remember certain verses that come alive during quiet time or a friend's word of wisdom or a book/sermon/song that quickens my conscience and I return to the straight and narrow.