God Speaks in Creative Ways

It's funny that as my son gets older I see more and more how much he is like me. He is smart - which he obviously got from me, he is in a bad mood every morning when he wakes up (most definitely me), he is very particular about his own stuff, he has a SLIGHT problem with anger management, he's a little quirky, and he is completely unaware of the world around him and sometimes even unaware of the world in which he is in.

In a discussion with a small group of guys that I meet with once a week, I brought up an interesting point that seems to ring true for all of us who are raising children. There have been many times in the last 6 years that I have found myself saying things to my children that I feel certain God says to me. Things like "if you will just listen to me, and do what I tell you to do, life would be so much easier for you" or "every day I get on to you for the same things over and over again" or "how many times do we have to have this conversation" or "just stop talking because your words are what get you in trouble". And the list continues. Just like I know what's best for my son, how much more does our sovereign God know what's best for us. I firmly believe that God's word is just one of many ways that He speaks to us. The thing is, He's God. He can't be limited to a book, and I believe He speaks to us in many ways. Sometimes I wonder how many times He has spoken to me in ways that I was too self involved or too busy to hear. And then when I do hear, how many times do I ignore it or pretend like I don't hear, or reason my way out of it. The point is, we all have our vices, whether we are 6 or 30, and just like my 6 year old, overcoming these vices requires the ability to listen, and the fortitude to obey (there is a Calvinistic debate here that I will try to address one day, when I feel that I can convey it with clarity, but I don't want to muddy the point right now).

One thing I do know, is that my relationship with my children is a constant reminder of the relationship that I have with my Father in heaven. The frustrations that I experience with the upbringing of my son is just a little snippet (is that a word?) of the frustration that God must feel with me.
In the same way, the unconditional love, patience (ok, so the whole patience thing is a struggle for me, but it happens occasionally) , and unchanging forgiveness that I portray to my son is just a little snippet (again, not so sure that's a word, but I am using it anyway), of God's relationship with me. One thing that I do know is that I would sacrifice anything for my son, how much more has God sacrificed for me?