Today I cried...

I had to send my 3 year old to his room today for being, well 3. After insisting several times over the hyterical screaming and crying that he go to his room and sit on his bed he finally made it to the top of the steps where he slipped and fell all the way down. After making sure he was okay and spending a few minutes cuddling and comforting him I had to follow through with the discipline and make him go to his room. Yikes, am I mean or what?!? So he went to his room a bit easier this time (only a bit) and waited for me to come up to talk to him. I went up several minutes later to talk to him about why he was sitting there. He laid his head in my lap and cried for a few minutes before settling down. Then as we sat there I suddenly burst into tears. Sometimes I am so tired and this job gets so hard. I feel like I am failing my kids. When they act up I think it is because I am not doing my job of teaching them very well. As I sat there crying he looked up at me, seemingly confused as to why mommy was crying. Then he hugged me, looked around the room, picked up his favorite stuffed animal, looked around the room again and picked up another animal which he handed to me and said "you can have this, mommy." Then he gave me another hug. In that moment I realized he is turning out to be at least some of who I hope he will be. He cares about other people and how they are feeling. When he sees they are hurting he wants to help. My son is a sinner, and so he will sin. It is my job to help him know the difference between right and wrong and to encourage him to do right. I am so thankful for his kind, sweet, caring heart and for the moment that, despite his own sadness, he showed that part of himself to me.