Big Boy Temper Tantrum

My thoughts keep returning to a temper tantrum I witnessed the week before Christmas in my favorite store south of Schaumberg. Target.

You see...they were all out of a certain kind of monster trucks. And this boy just HAD to have one. And online he was told that this particular Target had this particular truck. And they were out.

Unfortunately my 3 year old also loves monster trucks so I was looking at that section too.

But this boy wasn't happy and he started kicking and screaming and saying things he shouldn't say and yelling at the poor store clerk.

And his mommy wasn't anywhere nearby to stop him. I think she was in the nursing home because this boy.....this boy.....

Was OLDER THAN ME!

I was mortified. And you know me. I tried to make a joke and calm him down but he was livid. I just left him in his shameful state and gave up on the idea of Lil E getting a monster truck from Target.

But I keep thinking about this man. Well, man-child, really. I keep thinking about his Mom and if she knew how he was behaving. Would she pull his britches down and paddle his big bottom in the middle of that store?

And now I'm thinking about my own little men.

And praying that God will give them a spirit of self-control. Not self-entitlement. That they will outgrow these little temper tantrums and be MEN. Real men. Spiritual leaders of their homes, great workers for the kingdom of God.

Not a wuss crying over his monster truck.

Maybe his Mama didn't love him enough to discipline him when he was younger. Maybe his Mama didn't teach him about Jesus. Maybe....

Then I started thinking about the little temper tantrum I threw the other day. And how it really wasn't that different from the monster truck man's.

And my self-righteous little bubble burst.