I was talking to my friend on Monday, and she had taught the preschool Sunday school class over the weekend. She laughingly said that she had a backdoor compliment for our son - he had acted up a bit, and after being told to stop, he continued so ended up in time-out. She said his lip came out a bit and he clearly didn't want to comply, but he went to the chair without arguing, and then stayed put until he was allowed to get up. He did a GREAT job with his time out! We were both laughing when she finished the story, and I was quite proud of our little boy. I said something to my friend along the lines of, "I'm so glad to hear that! I know it's important to learn to share and everything, but I think that the way a kid handles being corrected is critical, too." After I made that comment, it sort of hung around in the back of my mind. I said it rather glibly, but the more I thought about it, the more it struck me just how true it is - not only for children, though.
What is my attitude when I'm convicted of a sin? Am I truly repentant, or just sorry I got caught? Do I whine about consequences, or face up? Am I learning from my mistakes, or just planning to be "sneakier" next time?
Another lesson learned from my son.
