Potty training

I learn every day even from activities I rate as “not that important”.  Summary of potty training my 2+ year old daughter:

Morning of Day 1: Few minutes after she woke up, we went to the “ladies” and I encouraged her to sit on her potty. After about 15 minutes, she managed to do number 2 business. Same result on days 2 to 4. I made a decision – “I will persist, I choose not to be frustrated”.

Morning of Day 5: We followed same routine, result was a successful number 1 business. Hooray! But we had to wait an extra 10 minutes before the show. And it was hard to resist the temptation of telling an innocent child to hurry up, but I persevered. Same results for next many days.

Morning of Day 12: She woke up and said, “Potty” and she did her Nos 1 & 2 businesses. This has carried on for many days afterwards. It became her habit. Unprompted, she indicates her need to use the potty – goal achieved/intended outcome.

My persistence, patience & consistency levels were challenged yet again and the exercise further  reinforced the truths below.

“If I do something repeatedly and continuously, it becomes an habit.

“If I could exercise a little bit of more patience, I will realise the intended results”.

“Success is end result of a long series of little things, done consistently over time” ( Jeff Olson)

#be consistent to a cause.

Family Tree

Another lesson the Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see in the story of Ishmael (in Gen 16-21) is that automatic blessings can be allocated to an individual without needing to work for it.

For background to Ishmael, please read my post here. At some point Sarah could no longer tolerate Hagar and Ishmael in the house and she sent them away. Abraham was grieved with this decision and God comforted him in 21:13 saying, “And I will also make a nation of [Ishmael] the son of the maid, because he is your descendant.” The same words were spoken to Hagar in 21:18.

Ishmael need not work for it. He automatically qualified for it due to the lineage. Whao! Some stash of inheritance awaiting him – his Father’s, Abraham, will so to speak.

In Luke 13, Jesus referred to a woman who was bound over as ‘a daughter of Abraham’. And here, he said this woman qualified to be healed! I have tried to plot out this woman’s family tree to check out the connection and which generation she was in: 1st, 2nd, 3rd…, 20th….40th? It was not easily traceable however there were 42 generations between Abraham and Jesus Christ. Therefore, I guess this woman will possibly be in either the 41st or 42nd generation. The point is that she was not in the 1st generation yet she qualified for automatic healing. The question is what made her qualify?

According to Galatians 3-5, if an individual confesses Christ as his Lord and Saviour, then he automatically qualifies for this stash of inheritance too, irrespective of the place you are in the family tree. Apart from being established as a nation and healing, the contents of this stash can be found in Gen 12 -17 and other chapters of the bible.

I study and claim those promises today and continually. From the story of the woman in Luke 13, apparently, she knew God however she was bound over for 18 years! Could it be that she was unaware of her full right to the stash?

Children – their prayers and praises

Still on Hagar and Ishmael’s story in Gen 16 -21.

For a background of the story, please read my last post. In the preceding verses, Sarah sent Hagar and Ishmael (in his early teens) away from the house. They had no clue to their destination but wandered through the wilderness. When her food and water finished, Hagar pulled over somewhere; overwhelmed, exhausted, deeply frustrated, seeing no hope for the future especially for the teenager.

She placed Ishmael under a tree and walked as far away as possible to avoid watching her dearly beloved son as he dies of hunger and thirst. She sat down and wept.

Verse 17, “God heard the voice of the boy,and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from where he is [resting].” (AMP)

We were not told the contents of Ishmael’s prayers. Also, it is interesting that (AMP) used the word “resting” as his disposition unlike Hagar who was described as heavily disturbed. Could it not be the case that both voices were heard? Possibly so however it was recorded that, the boy’s voice was heard. Surely, there is something about children- their prayers and praises.

Matt 18: 10 (AMP) “See that you do not despise or think less of one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven [are in the presence of and] continually look upon the face of My Father who is in heaven.

If you are a parent/guardian, bring your children/wards up in the way of the Lord; teach and encourage them to pray. Their prayers will in return have positive impact in your lives.