Is there ever a positive temper tantrum? Read on and see what you think. Hopefully, I’m not the only mom to experience this, but for the first time ever, I sent one of my kids to bed without dinner. I never thought this would happen, since I hate to admit it, but I would greatly miss dinner if it wasn’t there and I feel like it’s a pretty harsh punishment.
It began with picking up my two older kiddos from a weekend with their dad. It became very late and to say I was exhausted would be an understatement. My husband could see I wasn’t into the whole cooking thing on Sunday night, so he offered up a drive-through option before we hit our hometown.
See, there are no fast restaurants in our little town. Nada. Zero. The nearest fast food is 14 miles away. So it’s truly a treat for my kids to get it because it’s faster to cook something at home than to go pick something up.
A family of five and one car can create chaos in the drive through line. Especially since we don’t get much practice in the drive thru line. The poor girl on the other side of the order box kept asking if we were done and wanting to read back our order. Finally we said, that’s it. I could almost hear a sigh coming through the black speaker of the drive thru order box.
When all the orders were complete and handed out in the car, my son opened his bag and threw it on the seat next to him. I was shocked since I asked him twice what he wanted. Apparently something got lost in translation because it wasn’t what he ordered and he complained we didn’t listen to him. A temper tantrum ensued and my son was sent to bed without his dinner.
I wish I could admit I’ve never thrown a similar temper tantrum at God. I felt my son’s frustration when he said he wasn’t heard. There have been numerous times when I felt like my prayers were bouncing off heaven rather than God taking my pleading to heart. I can be on my knees begging God to answer my prayers only to feel silence on His end. What I sometimes do next, isn’t pretty. Like my son’s temper tantrum, I engaged in what I call the spiritual temper tantrum. I stomp my feet, pleaded with God, give him the cold shoulder, pout or bargain to get my way. FYI-this never works.
However, while it doesn’t work to get my way, it does bring me closer to God. This sounds counter intuitive, but please hear me out. See, if I’m railing at God, I’m still talking to Him. When I’m talking to Him, it brings me closer to Him. My logic could be a little sketchy, but, it works for me. See, I throw my temper tantrum at God in a journal. However, after a few pages of writing out my tantrum, God begins to show up and comfort me in my discomfort. There is normally something I need to learn from what I’m going through and the testing can be tough, heart wrenching, fall to my knees tough. I can stand on the promise that God is always with me through my struggle. In Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) it says, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
I cling to this verse when it feels all hope is lost in my situations – when I feel God doesn’t hear me. God is going before me and sometimes I don’t know what He has in mind, but I can trust He hears me, even my embarrassing spiritual tantrums.
Have you had a spiritual temper tantrum? (Please tell me I’m not the only one!) Share in the comments below if it brought you closer or farther from a relationship with God.