The Chronicles of Biscuit: Stories about our youngest son whose nickname is Biscuit.
These stories don't happen quite as often now, so it's kind of a treat to be writing a "Biscuit" story now that he's a teenager! Actually, this happened just a few days before he turned 13. I still like these stories. I hope I'll write a few more of them before he's grown. Something tells me that I will. :)
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I was trying to get the yard and house straightened up for Biscuit's 13th birthday party. It was after school one day. Biscuit was eating a snack, then I told him to straighten up his room and come outside to help me gather up the fall decorations and put out Christmas decorations.
There wasn't much outside, so it didn't end up taking as long as I thought it would. I came into the house and hollered at Biscuit. "I finished outside, so instead of doing that when you're done with your room, just unload the dishwasher." I heard back from him, "Okay!" I paused a minute, waiting for the "But I wanted to help you outside." It didn't come!
I was a little bit shocked Biscuit didn't say anything about not getting to go outside and work, since he had said earlier he wanted to play outside. I hollered back, "Thank you for saying okay! I thought you would complain about it!" He hollered back, "I'm complaining on the inside!" Ha ha! I responded, "Well, that's a good start!"
The Bible tells us to do everything "without grumbling or complaining" in Philippians 2:14-16, which is that passage from which this blog is named. "Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life." For most of us, we continue to fail in this area. For Biscuit - or me, for that matter - to ONLY complain on the inside would be a big start in the right direction. For me not to voice my complaints, but only to think them would be huge! Should we even think them? No, we shouldn't, but a big step in the right direction is to not open our mouths with complaining, but to just keep it to ourselves. After mastering that goal, then we can move on to allowing God's Spirit to help us control our thoughts. Transforming into the likeness of Christ is growing more and more mature each and every day. It's not automatic. It takes time to become more like Him. We will never reach perfection as He was, but we can become more like Him each day.
How about you? Can you keep your complaining on the inside? Would it be a big accomplishment for you? Let's work on it together!
He is wise beyond his 13 years! It's only recently that I have been able to keep my mouth shut over silly things that don't really matter, like being a passenger with my husband driving. :)
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