Have you met Emmett?

When we met our second grandson three plus years ago, we had no idea the adventure that would be this little bundle of God’s perfect mix of genetics and wiring and delight.

To say he has a mind of his own would be an understatement…

So last Thursday when he was supposed to be taking a much needed nap…

after vowing to not get out of his bed again….

and yet I found him…

cheerfully suggesting we could read this book…

and giving me the infamous Emmett charm at full blast….

I threw in the towel and we rolled with no nap.

But there are consequences for three year olds who skip nap too many days in a row.

And the piper must be payed at some point.

So when we finished the long day, the expected meltdown came.

It seems he didn’t cooperate in picking out his jammies, so his mommy selected a pair and the combination of the skipped rest and the poor choice hit a brick wall.

Standing straight as a board…

with as much water pouring from his eyes as from the faucet…

he wailed loudly and repeatedly that he wanted his Chupacabra pajamas.

Over

and over

and over ….

at a mind-numbing decibel.

I know this because this all happened inches from my face and my ear.

So I bathed and I soothed and I just kept repeating over and over into that three year old tirade that I understood and that I loved him.

I kissed the snottiest little face and I wrapped that tired little body in his Olaf towel.

I cajoled him into the pajamas his mommy had brought him and smiled encouragement at her…our daughter…over the top of a brown terry cloth snowman’s nose protruding from this little tot’s forehead.

It was easy to support her and yet love on him.

I understand painful consequences and that they hurt the parent as much or more than the child.

I also understand that in the midst of the struggle, there is room for compassion and love that wraps us up and holds us close.

I know this because I have received this kind of love from my Father in the excruciating repercussions of my own bad choices.

I have known His love wrapped around me and I have received far more blessings than I ever deserved.

How deep the Father’s love for us…

how vast beyond all measure…

that He would give His only Son…

 to make a wretch His treasure <3               Stuart Townend