Sinners and Ice Cream

I'm sitting in my cubicle at the CEF office, silently willing the clock to move faster. Only a few more hours and I can officially start my weekend. Yesterday morning at 6:15 I was in the local market picking up gallons of ice cream and ice cream cones for this afternoon. It's ice cream day at school and the kids will be wildly excited, especially since they have no idea.

I like to do things like that every once in awhile just see the delighted expressions on their funny little faces. I am becoming more and more convinced that children are sinners. I mean, theologically I knew they were, but now I know experimentally. I keep telling my little charges what bad kids they are. I don't think they quite believe me though, and it seems my pronouncement of their vileness does little to dissuade them from the right belief that I still love them in spite of it. This is probably a good thing.

I wonder what kind of parent I will make? Probably a really poor one. As I experience more of God the Father I can't help but compare my faulty "parenting" style with His perfect one. For one thing, I am not patient, and I find I have to constantly remind myself to temper my discipline with gentleness. We all need a little (or a lot) of mercy sometimes and, what do you know, a gentle answer really does turn away wrath. They are still sinners, and they need Jesus to change their evil little hearts, but my responses are getting better (I hope) and in return, their responses are better. I pray that Jesus saves each one of them, though; behavior modification only works up to a certain point.

Anyway, we need ice cream today, like nobody's business. It's hot as a mug here (what does that expression even mean?) and with only one and a half more days of school left, we need a diversion if we're going to make it to the end. So ice cream, a few dozen hugs, probably some tears and fights and "Miss Jeanne, he took my legos!", and then, goodbyes, and have a nice weekend, and walking out the door, and freedom!