Noe's little thumb is chapped and red. It looks awful from the hours of thumb sucking torture it has been through.
I realized how much Noe is beginning to truly understand as I had a little conversation with him last Friday.
Noe: As he yanks his thumb out of his mouth and examines it "Thumb OW-ie!"
Me: "Yeah Noe, you really need to try to stop sucking your thumb so much. You are making it really sore!"
Noe: "Yeah"
contemplative look
"Yeah. Thumb OW-ie. Stop sucking it. Yeah"
Mommy and Noe cuddle on the couch
Thumb subconsciously drifts to mouth
Thumb gets yanked out of mouth
Noe: "No! Thumb OW-ie. "
Me: "Here, I'll hold your hand for you so you don't suck your thumb"
Noe: "Yeah. Thumb OW-ie. No suck thumb. Mommy hold hand. No suck thumb."
Cuddling resumes.
Hand begins to make jerking motions.
Hand starts shaking a little.
Hand flies out of mommy's.
Thumb goes quickly into mouth.
Big blue guilty eyes look up at mommy's.
Thumb slowly slips out of mouth.
Noe: "Wipe off thumb mommy. Thumb wet."
Mommy grabs a towel and wipes off thumb.
Gets up to get some lotion to rub onto dry thumb.
Comes back to find a little boy with big blue eyes cuddled comfortably on the couch with thumb securely in mouth.
Noe: with great look of concern on his face "Too hard mommy! Too hard!"
He's only 2. I'm not terribly concerned with the thumb sucking. I will moisturize it when it gets dry and chapped. I know that he won't go to collage sucking his thumb.
And honestly I think it is darn cute.
But it did demonstrate to me the innate depravity we are all born with.
How often do we come to the conclusion that something isn't healthy for us only to go back to it again and again? Sometimes we even allow God to "hold our hand" so we will resist the temptation (and please note I am not really comparing myself to God as the hand holder...). But we are so quick to pull it back "just this once, then I'll stop".
In the end our conclusion is simply "Too hard. too hard."
I'm right there in a few scenarios in my life.
I'm praying that God takes my "too hard" and turns it into "I can do all things through you - you give me the strength."
16 comments:
Great post, Wendi. I was a thumb sucker (until age 5) and I know it was hard to give up (luckily so much time has passed I don't remember but I know from the stories my mom tells).
Hugs and prayers,
Amanda
I don't really remember being a thumbsucker. He's adorable!
This is such a great post! Great analogy. Noe is so adorable.
Oh, so right. Isn't it amazing how God can use our kids to show us His truth?
You write this so nicely. We are probably all concerned about something in our lives that we want God to help us with but don't leave it in God's hands. We always want to take it back. Love to read your post.
Aunt Lois
Yes! What a perfect analogy. I love how you think :)
Thumb sucking really is cute, isn't it? And really hard to quit. (Yes, this is coming from a former thumb-sucker who did not suck her thumb until college :)
Sweet sweet Noe!
We all have issues that we struggle with....we know its wrong or bad for us, but we still go back to it. So hard to break those!!
You're right...thank goodness the Lord is holding our hand through it all.
awww...sweet noe! i think your analogy is perfect...and we all have our own "thumbs" in our lives... ;-)
what a great analogy...and wendi, i so agree with the cuteness of the thumb-sucking...there is something so sweet and innocent about it. our kate is a thumbsucker...
Wow - see, this is what I love about your posts. You can find spiritual truth in the simplest illustrations!
Princess will be 3 next week and she still sucks her thumb when she's tired. I haven't stressed about it. I figure as long as the dentist isn't complaining then I shouldn't get all worked up about it either. She'll quit eventually. :)
We always know what isn't good for us but that doesn't make it easy to give up. You are right:)
Bless his little heart. How sweet. I pray he will easily lose his desire for his little thumb. Too cute.
Love,
Beth
I love how you explain it. I am with you on rubbing the lotion on. It all comes to an end to soon, it will be missed someday!
Another great object lesson... Motherhood is just so full of these!
Why did this make me cry???? Oh my goodness.
I agree...it is SO cute. Savannah still sucks her thumb all the time and we are haphazardly trying to break her of it...but it breaks my heart when she says, "Please Mama, can I suck my fum?"
I loved this and so needed it.very insightful
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