Honesty...a child's eye view

Today we went to Wal-mart...if you have ever been to Wal-mart on a Saturday afternoon (and I'm thinking most of you have, after all this is America) you can raise your right hand with me when I ask "Who wants to run SCREAMING from the store?" We all went--Danny, Grace, Sam, me--the entire crew. It was fun...until we pushed fun a little too far (meaning I forgot Cool Whip and had to send Danny back to get it while I waited in a checkout lane that was much too loooooonnnnng)...it was about this point in our "fun" little venture that Grace's "listening ears" fell RIGHT off the sides of her teeny tiny face. Now, I didn't witness the "event"...it was reported to me by Daddy (with a capital "D"). I sent Danny and Grace back for cool whip (a staple in our house) and I waited, waited, waited in line. As I waited I heard WAILS coming from the "cool whip section" and I thought SURELY that can't be MY sweet baby girl. But it was and she was coming STRAIGHT toward me, crying REAL tears...weeping....then I heard Danny say "There she is...go see your mother" (GREAT..it's never good when he says "mother"). Apparently Grace "lost it" while looking for dessert topping with her Daddy. She stopped in the middle of the aisle, wouldn't move...lagged behind...just plain drove her Daddy crazy. And so, she lost the privilege of watching a movie in the car on the way home--she is currently watching the newest Little Mermaid movie, the loss of this privilege was devastating in her 3 year old world. I scooped her up, got the story from Danny, and then took her to the bathroom so she could "gather herself", while Danny finished the grocery transaction at the register. We all met back outside at the car, and Danny and I began to do the "parent" thing--he loaded groceries, I loaded kids...then Danny started the car and began the drive home. It was at this point we heard a very small voice from the backseat--"Daddy, my movie is still on...my movie is not off...you didn't turn my movie off"...It was music to this mother's ears. My daughter was REMINDING us that we forgot to inforce a punishment, she was being HONEST--no matter WHAT resulted of that honesty. We turned the movie off, then turned to each other mouths hanging open in shock...she IS hearing us, we ARE doing a good job. Oh that we could be that honest with God, with each other, with ourselves. So much of our lives is spent "getting around the system" and "sticking it to the man"...we forget that in being honest with God and with those we interact with everyday, we are--in turn--being honest to ourselves. Grace Ellen constantly reminds me that I must become like a child before God...I must humble myself at the feet of my heavenly Father...even if it means losing my movie in the car.