I remember

I remember when my mom used to act like she couldn't remember where our house was. She'd pretend to turn into every driveway until we'd yell, NOT THIS ONE! then we'd have to tell her which way to turn. I don't know if she was just being silly, or trying to teach us something.
I remember my dad giving us all hangers to use as guns and we'd disperse through out the house hiding and sneaking around trying to shoot each other (I am positive he wasn't trying to teach us anything!). I remember planning surprise birthday parties EVERY year for my dad. He worked 2nd shift. So Mom would bake him a cake and we'd get to stay up until he got home (11:45) and we'd decorate and yell surprise when he'd walk in the door.

I know that the amount of good memories far out way the bad ones, even if the bad ones tend to linger a bit longer sometimes. So it makes me think of what we are doing to make memories in our kids' lives. I know that they are so young that they won't remember much. But I do have some vague memories of when I was 2, so its getting more and more important for me to make memories that they will have forever.
Yesterday, Zech had a pretty hard time in the grocery store. Screaming and crying the entire time. I am not sure exactly what triggered it, or what sustained it. But I had prayed that very morning that God would help me to glorify Him in all I do. So I guess maybe God was testing my prayer. Was I truly willing to bite my tongue from yelling, and CHOOSE to glorify Him, or would I fly off the handle and yell at my yelling son? I think I stayed pretty calm. I kept reminding him that he needed to behave to get treats. He would calm down and I would praise him for being such a quiet good little boy. Then the next grocery store we only needed 3 things, so I let him walk around (hoping to give him good memories) He was not the best behaved child! So when we got back in the car, I took the DVD player away. I told him that his behavior wasn't good enough to get good treats. He was furious. And without really thinking about it, I said
"I know you want the DVD player, and Mommy would love to give you good things that make you happy. But sometimes when you choose not to listen, the blessings are not there when you want them." Not the words I usually use for a 2 year old. But it spoke volumes to me.
I want to bless my kids, I want to give them all their desires. But that isn't' always best. Same for us. God would love to give us good things that make us happy, it is his ultimate plan. But sometimes when we don't listen to His words, His promptings, His reprimands, blessings are not there when we want them.
I want to give my children memories, memories of their parents choosing to listen to the words of God and following them. I hope someday they will look back and remember all the great and God glorifying times they've had with us... as they make some for themselves!