No, No, No and ...did I say NO?

Ah the joys of the nearly terrible-twos. Such a little person, yet such an enormous temper! From the moment Zach woke up this morning he wholeheartedly didn't want to do anything - but he didn't want to do nothing either. I call this toddler apathy. Here's how our conversation went down this morning.

Me: Good morning, Zachary! Come here and give me a hug!
Zach: No.
Me: Oh come on, come give me a hug!
Zach: NO!
Me: Okay, do you need to pee pee?
Zach: Yeah.
Me: Okay, let's go potty.
Zach: NO! (followed by the foulest scowl you ever did see).
David: Let's get your pants off, so we can put on big boy pants.
Zach: NO...NO...NO...(followed by the classic stiff stance, clenched fists).
Me: Zach, mommy doesn't have time for this today, let daddy get you dressed.
Zach falls to the floor half naked: NOooooooooooooo
Me: Fine, do you want to be naked and cold?
Zach: NO! NO!

After this we pretty much stripped him and redressed him while he kicked and screamed and begged for a "bah." He wanted a cereal bar. So we proceeded downstairs to get said bah.

I unwrapped the bar; I sat Zach in his chair; I laid the bar in front of him on the tray and he just stared at it. And then of course came the word of the day "NO!"

I just ignored it and walked into the bathroom, where he could still see me.
Zach: NO
Me: You said you wanted a bar; I gave you a bar, now eat it!
Zach: NO!
Me: Are you hungry?
Zach: Yeah
Me: So eat the bar and chill out!
Zach: silence
2 minutes later, bar still in tact;
Zach: NO!

You see where this is going; nothing in the world would please that child this morning. I could've him anything he asked for and it still would not have made him happy. But why? I don't think he even knows that. He just wanted to completely control his environment, but he wasn't sure what final outcome he really wanted.

I find that so true in my own life. God tells me to do something, that I know in my heart is the right thing to do, but I say no just to exert my own will. I ask God for this or that - thinking it will make me happy. Then He gives me exactly what I asked for and I don't want it anymore and I say NO, Lord, NO! Where is the logic in this?

I think He knows exactly what I need, when I need it and I should just trust Him. He also wants me to trust Him; take what he gives and not look back.

Think about Lot's wife. God gave her family freedom from a region that He was about to destroy because Lot asked for God to protect them. Instead of just being grateful for the Lord's gift of freedom, she had second thoughts and wondered if that is really what she wanted. God turned her into a pillar of salt when she looked back on Sodom. That may sound like an extreme analogy, but is it really? If Zach would have just let us get him out of his pjs, to the potty and into his clothes, he would've spared himself a long ride on a very emotional roller coaster. If he would have eaten what he asked me to give him, he wouldn't still be hungry 10 miles down the road.

I need to remember to obey God when he asks me to do simple things and also be grateful for the times when he gives me what I ask for.

Genesis 19:26