The other day I picked Toby up from preschool, and one of the teachers said, "Toby went on the big toilet twice today!"
Now, you may not fully appreciate the significance of this. Believe me, if you had been lugging a potty around in a plastic bag every single place you went for the last eight months, you also would have been dancing all the way home. For all those months: complete resistance.
And then, all of a sudden, he uses a toilet like there has never been a problem.
When we moved back to England last December, Toby reacted to the loss of Texas warmth by refusing to wear a coat. At all. This was a winter when we were still having snow in March, and our kid was shivering in two layers of jumpers because that was the most we could get on him.
And then, all of a sudden: "Jacket on, Toby?" "OK".
The "I want" stage started quite some time ago, and continued until we seemed to have been repeating, "I would like... please" fifty times a day since approximately 1992.
And then, all of a sudden... oh wait, we're not quite there on that one yet. But we live in hope.
Life quite often gives you a sudden change when you had all but given up hope, and resigned yourself to the the situation continuing indefinitely. But toddlers take the sudden switch-around to a whole new level. As soon as one issue resolves itself, you're on to the next one, but at least as the successes build up, so does your hope that yes, this too is just a phase. Why this is the moment and not three months ago, we may never know, but we're thankful that the moment has come at last.
For hundreds of years the Jews had been expecting a Messiah - a Saviour, someone to make a difference. The wars, oppression, famines and taxes had continued... and continued... and continued. But still that spark of hope was there.
And then, all of a sudden...
And again Isaiah says,
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:12-13
Now, you may not fully appreciate the significance of this. Believe me, if you had been lugging a potty around in a plastic bag every single place you went for the last eight months, you also would have been dancing all the way home. For all those months: complete resistance.
And then, all of a sudden, he uses a toilet like there has never been a problem.
When we moved back to England last December, Toby reacted to the loss of Texas warmth by refusing to wear a coat. At all. This was a winter when we were still having snow in March, and our kid was shivering in two layers of jumpers because that was the most we could get on him.
And then, all of a sudden: "Jacket on, Toby?" "OK".
The "I want" stage started quite some time ago, and continued until we seemed to have been repeating, "I would like... please" fifty times a day since approximately 1992.
And then, all of a sudden... oh wait, we're not quite there on that one yet. But we live in hope.
Life quite often gives you a sudden change when you had all but given up hope, and resigned yourself to the the situation continuing indefinitely. But toddlers take the sudden switch-around to a whole new level. As soon as one issue resolves itself, you're on to the next one, but at least as the successes build up, so does your hope that yes, this too is just a phase. Why this is the moment and not three months ago, we may never know, but we're thankful that the moment has come at last.
For hundreds of years the Jews had been expecting a Messiah - a Saviour, someone to make a difference. The wars, oppression, famines and taxes had continued... and continued... and continued. But still that spark of hope was there.
And then, all of a sudden...
And again Isaiah says,
“The root of Jesse will come,
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”
Romans 15:12-13
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