Today Kaylee locked herself in the bathroom, and then called me to come wipe her. She refuses to learn to wipe yet. It's gross, and she won't do it, she says. In the past, I've been willing to find a nail, unlock the door, and do her dirty work, telling her each time that it's about time she learn to do this herself. This time, I didn't want to. I told her she would have to do it herself, and I refused to go in. She sat in the bathroom for about 30 minutes, begging, crying, waiting, and wailing.

“Mommy! Please! Won't you please come take care of me? You have to take care of me, you're my Mommy!  Will nobody take care of me? Daddy? Daddy!! Can't you come wipe me?  Daddy!!”

“Mommy! If you don't come wipe me, I will be stuck here forever! Whaaa...”

“Mommy, if I am stuck here forever, I will die! Do you want me to die? Whaaa”

Through tears: “I think that nobody cares about me!”

“Help me somebody! Please!”

Then pleading, “JESUS!! HELP ME!”

That's when I finally caved. Wouldn't you? I guess she'll learn eventually, right? How could I let her pleas to heaven go unanswered? Some day she'll learn all about how God helps us in his own time and way, and how sometimes he lets us struggle on our own for our own good, but that's a hard lesson to learn, and it tries the faith of many an adult. I just want her to know that Mom is her personal angel, the hands of Christ in her life. So phewy! The child still hasn't learned to wipe herself!

We never know, do we, if we're doing things right?  We don't really know if we're being too soft, or too harsh, too unyielding, or too flexible?  So much depends on our success, and so much depends on their success.  All I can hope is that He will come help her when she's trying to overcome the mistakes I make daily.  I guess we all have that right to call on Him for that.  Aren't we blessed to have that safety net?