Last night Ashley was being a real pill at dinner. She refused to eat. So she sat at the table for much longer than everyone else (it seems to be a regular occurence for Ashley). Anyhow… at one point, I told her to take a bite, and she wouldn’t, and started fussing and crying about it, and I got up to resituate her and help her get the food on the fork and into her mouth. In the midst of all this action Megan gave me a look.

Now, thinking back the look was entirely appropriate. Ashley needed to know that Daddy loves her, but Daddy just wanted Ashley to do what he told her to do. And that’s what Megan was trying to get me to recognize with her look.

But, I was getting frustrated with Ashley, and was all sensitive, and I ended up snapping at Megan. We then left the room to have a discussion. Things were resolved, and she left to go to a ladies book study. There’s a whole story here about how the lady that was giving her a ride showed up in the midst of our discussion, and we weren’t about to go answer the door like that…

Then I went out to the girls and told them that I was wrong to speak to Mommy that way, and asked them to please forgive me. They were quite cheerful about granting their forgiveness, but then Geneva asked me why I spoke to Megan the way I did. I replied, “Because Daddy was sinning”. There was a look on her face that was just great. She didn’t say anything more about it, so I only have the look to go on. It was sort of surprise, but also understanding. Like she thought, “Hey, Daddy sins too, and he needs to be forgiven just like I do when I sin.”

I felt like, even though I had screwed up, the situation was redeemed by teaching the girls that I submit to the same God that they do. The buck doesn’t stop with me… I am just an earthly minister of the authority.

And, Ashley ate enough of her dinner that I excused her from the table, and then, later in the evening, she ate all the rest of her chocolate easter bunny (except for the part that was smeared all around her mouth).