BitterSweetLife

We've all heard those phrases that parents use with their children to convey that they, the parents, are laid back and down with this whole parent-child relationship. "Hey Buddy, we don't do that." But at times the veneer wears a little thin. "Hey Buddy, we don't do that!" Or breaks down entirely. "HEY BUDDY! WE DON'T DO THAT!"

I can't wait to wake up one day and discover that I've developed my own little catchphrases. If I'm lucky, Aidan will nip them in the bud. I was just thinking, though, how happy I am that God doesn't resort to trite repartee to keep up appearances with his children.

Can you imagine if the revelation that God sent us was on par with human "wisdom?" What if, in response to Job's suffering, God appeared and told him, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger?"

Or when Joseph was languishing in prison, God sent him a message: "Never give up on your dreams."

Or when Jacob was sleeping with his head on a rock, concerned for his future, God's angel told him, "Just visualize success."

Or when Adam and Eve stood outside the gates of Eden, God said, "Keep your chins up, things could be worse."

As I begin to learn the nuances of parenting, I'm freshly overjoyed that God's words of consolation to us are truly divine (and much better than what I typically tell Aidan).