Spiritual Sunday: Potty Training

So we started potty training Norah on Thursday and it has been quite the adventure.  I will share in a future post on "Mommy Monday" exactly how we accomplished it, but right now I just want to share what I learned.  Potty training has been a spiritual experience, I know it sounds ridiculous but it is true.  Norah has a real fear of not wearing a diaper and of sitting on the potty.  The 1st day consisted of Norah laying around and pouting all day, holding on to her private for dear life.  It was as if her world was ending!  It has definitely been a struggle and I'm sure will continue to be a struggle for sometime.  To help myself gain more patience I tried putting myself in her shoes and tried to think about what must be going on in her head.  I figured she was probably thinking, "I love diapers, life is so easy with diapers. I am happy and comfortable with diapers, WHY ARE MY PARENTS DOING THIS TO ME!?!? It doesn't make since.  I just want to wear a diaper and not ever have to sit on a potty!"  I started to feel really sympathetic towards Norah and no matter how hard I tried I could not communicate the knowledge that I had to her.  The knowledge that it is not normal to wear a diaper for the rest of your life, and that life is so much better when you can use a potty.  Norah can not understand this, she can not see the long term goal, all she can see is what is happening in the moment.  And in a couple of years she will finally realize the advantage of not wearing diapers.  So here is the real life application.  Metaphorically speaking Heavenly Father is trying to potty train us! He gives us challenges because he knows what is best for us in the long run and sometimes we fight and fight against his will for us because we can not see the big picture.  "I love where I am right now, life is so easy like this. I am happy and comfortable with the way things are, WHY IS GOD DOING THIS TO ME!?!? It doesn't make since.  I just want to stay how I am and not ever have to change[ sit on a potty]!" We get comfortable with how things are and we forget that we need to be progressing, and that is when Heavenly Father reminds us. He say something like, "Looks like you need to learn patience so I'll send you a stubborn daughter." And when we endure the challenge we come out better than we started.
This video tells an inspirational story that applies to what I am trying to get across.  I love the amazing eternal perspective that the boy keeps to overcome his sorrows.  Its also important to remember that we are not alone in our trials and that God is always there to guide us and comfort us.