Big lessons

I had a big talk with my toddler today. He was marching around the house grabbing at everything he saw and proclaiming "mine".  And it was not a sweet, calm..."mine?" As in...'can I have this?' It was a declaration. "Mine!" He might as well have been planting little Hank flags on everything he touched because he was claiming it as his property. "Mine! Mine cup, mine brush, mine shoe, etc..." (We have not practiced conjugating verbs yet, so he does not have the me-my-mine down yet...but give him time, he's very bright.)

So after about 5 minutes of this I finally had had enough. I turned to him and said...

"Ok buddy, we have to come to an understanding about something. Nothing in this house is actually yours. It is all Mommy's. This cup is mommy's and this shoe is mommy's. None of it is Hank's. Mommy gives things to you for you to use and enjoy because I love you...but you do not own anything. You may hold that cup, but it is not yours and if Mommy needs to use it then you will give it to me with a happy face. Do you understand?"

"Otay Mommy." And he runs out of the room.

As I turn to follow him this little voice pops into my head and says "the silver is mine and the gold is mine says the Lord." My first reaction is...perfect this will be a good application of that verse for Hank(I know, he's just 2, but memory verses aren't far off, ha!) but then I realize that the the voice is probably the Holy Spirit and the verse was probably not meant for my child.

Dang! I hate it when I end up learning a lesson that I thought I had already learned and was trying to teach someone else. Can't I just lay down the law and walk away feeling the satisfaction of my parenting abilities with out having to actually apply it to my life?

The little speech that I just gave my almost 2 yr old has been turned on me.

Nothing in this house is mine. It's all the Lord's. The Lord gives me things so that I can use them and enjoy them because He loves me, but I do not own anything. I may hold that __________, but it is not mine and if He needs to use it then I will give it to Him with a happy face.

Ok Lord, I get it. I understand.

Haggai 2:8
'The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,' declares the LORD of hosts.