Easy Way or Hard Way?

As I have been blogging and writing on facebook, I have mentioned our interesting life as Audrie has hit the 2 year old mark. I feel like we have been in terrible twos for sometime now but it doesnt seem to get better, just more defiant. More tiring. More discipline. More time-outs. More spankings. More corrections. I do know that it is worth it. She will one day, hopefully, not need as much correction since we are starting to set this foundation of discipline and boundaries.

Something I have started recently is telling Audrie we can do this the easy way or the hard way. You can let me brush your hair while sitting still and it will be over alot faster and it wont hurt as much. But if you pull away and scream it will take longer and hurt more. And this is with everything I am finding with her. Of course, she usually picks the hard way and I have found 2 year olds arent really logical thinkers.

I started attending a Bible study last week, "A Woman's Heart" by Beth Moore. God has really spoken to my heart about how  I am just like my two-year old. Gods word is showing me the easy way but oh so often I choose that hard way. He is saying. Lydia, if you would listen to me the first time, it would be the easy way, you wouldnt be so hurt. But because you chose the hard way, it hurts and it takes you longer to learn the lesson, sometimes I have to teach it to you a million times.

I found it interesting as I was reading the story of the Tower of Babel in our study how much it relates to this. After the flood, God tells Noah and his sons (Shem, Ham, Japeth) to multiply and scatter among the earth. Well, the people start building this tower and they want it high enough to reach the heavens. I thought this was why God confused the languages and scattered the people, but it wasnt. The people were building this tower so they would all be in one place and not be scattered around the world.

Easy Way: Be fruitful. Multiply. Scatter among the earth.
Hard Way: God made it happen by confusing languages.

Another lesson is this, Gods will is going to happen. The question to me is, Am I going to be part of His will? Am I going to be used by Him or is He going to have to use someone else because of my disobedience?

Remember the former things, those of long ago;
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
11 From the east I summon a bird of prey;
from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.
What I have said, that I will bring about;
what I have planned, that I will do.

Isaiah 46:9-11