The Howl that Never Ends

Parents, have you ever heard the "howl that never ends?" You know what I'm talking about--some catastrophe has occurred in the life of your three-year-old, and he gets so worked up with whining that he forgets what he's howling about or how you can fix it.



My day started with one of those yesterday.



Whining, crying, howling, all-out weeping, all day long.



Brothers and sisters irritating each other, picking on each other, purposely inciting the howl that never ends.



It was not fun.



I told the kids to pile in the van because we were going to the playground. This was not for their good, mind you, but for mine. I fully intended to pop in my earbuds and enjoy a full 30-minute walk, uninterrupted, around the walking track while they played on the nearby playground. For the first time that day, I heard rejoicing. Finally.



So I turned the keys to crank the car and be on our way.



Nothing.



I sighed. Really, God? Really? Do you think this is funny??



I dragged my husband out of his office to help me jump off the battery. (It was, after all, his fault--he left the lights on in the van last night.) I knew from sad experience that I needed to drive for 10 minutes or so to give the battery adequate time to charge before I cut the engine, which meant I had to take the long way--the really long way--to the neighborhood playground.



The howl that never ends is even less pleasant in the car. I rolled down the window and let the wind deafen me. "Mama! Mama! Mama!" I could hear in the background. I sighed and rolled up the window, ready to respond.



What I heard delighted me. My three-year-old son, Tobias, sat, buckled in (a miracle in and of itself), singing at the top of his lungs, a song he learned at Bible school, "Where is Jesus, Where is Jesus?" His twin brother, Tyler, answered in tune, "In my heart! In my heart!"



I smiled a genuine, refreshing smile. In the middle of the howl that never ends, God had sent a song to my heart.



Don't be misled, the howl didn't end. (That's why it's called the howl that never ends!) But that one shining moment strengthened me and renewed my patience, reminding me that God expects me to teach, train, and love these children of mine in patience and joy.