Jokes on me

Remember reading this yesterday?

"It is part of the "Unglued" series by Lysa TerKeurst.  While I enjoy book studies, I have to admit that so far, this study is pretty surface level and is not quite hitting home with me."

Well guess who came completely unlgued yesterday and was slapped in the face with this comment?

Yup.

Me.

What set it off you ask?

My adorable daughter.

I'm pretty sure that God wanted me to see just how easy it would be for Him to show me that I do, indeed, need a Bible Study focused on coming unglued and how to deal with it Biblically.

You know those moments in the grocery store or say... the mall... when you see some kid going nutso and you think to yourself "holy cow I'm glad that's not my kid"  or "man that kid must be so spoiled and totally controlling the mom" or "I can't believe she's yelling back at her kid like that... I would never talk to a child like that, especially my own... it's a good thing my kids will never be like that."

Then you have a child.

You take that child to the mall and you are having an awesome time and you think "I love this kid!" and then you give the 2-minute warning. "Emma, you have 2 minutes and then we need to leave!" "Ok Mommy!"

Then it happens.

Out of nowhere, while you are staring right at your child, something takes over her body and convinces her that now... right now... is the PERFECT place and time to wage a war against the request to get in the stroller and get out to the car to go home. And why not? There are lots of people to look at her and feel sorry for her and to let her know that indeed, she has a terrible mother.

"Emma this is ridiculous, get in the stroller please"

Then you start in with the yell whispers. You know them. Where you are whispering as loud as you possibly can without using your actual voice.

"Emma Sue Risheill you sit in this stroller and get buckled in right this instant! We do NOT behave like this!"

It only makes her more angry and she screams at the top of her lungs "Don't hurt me Mommy! Don't hurt me!" "noooooooooooo!!!"

You quickly scan the room to look for cops or anyone that could possibly work for social services before you quickly tell her to stop saying that you are going to hurt her. Then the inevitable happens. Someone gets hurt. This time... it is me. As I slam the buckle together, she kicks at just the right moment and my finger slips and gets caught in the buckle... tearing out enough of my pointer finger flesh that you can see it on the buckle.

Now I'm flustered, injured and still yell whispering. But, she's buckled in.

She bucks against the stroller and flings herself all over the place while yelling. I rock the stroller back on its hind wheels and high tail it out of there.

Finally. The car.

No sooner do I unbuckle her and not so gently place her in her car seat .. than we start ALL. OVER. AGAIN.  "No Mommy!" "I. Don't. Like. You!"  *heart rips to shreds*  We fight. I put her arms in the strap, she takes her arm out, I put it in, she takes it out, she is screaming, I am telling her she is ridiculous, she pulls her arm out again and then the volcano erupts.

I yell "FINE!" and close the door (not so gently). I stand up next to the door and literally scream "uggggggh!!" ...  then I pop the trunk and put in the stroller.  To my amazement, after going quite crazy because she thought I was leaving her, I open the door and she settles into her seat and buckles up.

I came SO unglued that I yelled out loud in a public parking lot while people walked by and stared or laughed at my screaming child in the car.

I guess it wouldn't hurt to do some careful studying of this Unglued book.

Thanks God.

Jokes on me.