To whom much is given...

I intended this to be a post devoid of sarcasm. This is all about sharing a 'God moment' with you. I should reign in the sarcasm, banish it, ignore the temptation to use it. However, without it, you won't fully comprehend the glory of the God moment. Today, sarcasm serves a purpose.

A few days ago, I took all four boys to the tax assessor's office. I'll pause to give you time to laugh. Ok, collect yourself. Really, stop laughing. Now you're just being rude.

Anyway, they behaved as expected. Less like four boys and more like monkeys. I have yet to teach Stone that just because he crawls all over my furniture doesn't mean he can do the same to the county's. The poor woman at the window waited as I said 4-5 words to her followed by, "Will you excuse me?" followed by, "Pearce! Keep Stone from going through that lady's purse!" or "Cole, don't teach Stone to make the revolving door go that fast!" Then it was back to the lady at the window. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Finally, FINALLY, I'd tagged two cars, a boat, and the boat trailer and we were almost home free (read: restrained with seat belts). ALMOST. As we exit the building, my kids look like mercury from a broken thermometer - randomly going in all different directions. I'm scrambling to keep Cole from jumping off a wall in front of a Constable's car and yelling at Pearce to stop Stone from running into the parking lot. I'm losing my patience at this point and I'm ready to Gibbs-slap ALL of them. Even the cute ones, you know - the ones not going through an 'awkward teeth phase.'

Just then, a man walks by with a combined look of sympathy and amusement and says, "To whom much is given, much is required."

Steven Covey talks about paradigm shifts in his motivational speeches.
He was traveling in a subway, a man gets in with his two sons, the sons are running all over the place bothering the people, this continues, so he finally gets irritated enough to ask the father why he doesn't do something to control his kids. The father replies, "We just got back from the hospital where their mother died. I don't know how to handle it and I guess they don't either."

8 words caused a paradigm shift in me. To whom much is given, much is required. It's paraphrased from Luke 12:48. I like this translation - The man to whom much is given, will have to give much; if much is given into his care, of him more will be requested.
Mostly, this verse describes giving to the less fortunate in your community - if you have much, give much. But on this day, the words from the stranger's mouth made me look at the verse anew. And my children.

I wish I could tell you that the boys magically transformed into little angels at that moment - that I saw their little devil horns turn into halos. But, in fact, they piled into the van screaming at each other about who got to sit in front and who was stepping on who's toes as they tried to get in ahead of the the other two. Cade, who had been in my arms the entire time looked at them like they were the funniest cartoon ever.

And I was filled with peace.