Don't be a Dragon

This is my little dragon.

Now, there is nothing wrong with pretending to be a dragon, but here's the thing: My son likes to gather all his beloved toys (far more than he can physically play with at one time) and then pile them up into a heap. He sits on top with a scowl on his face, and does his very best to keep his little brother away. He doesn't actually want to play with them, he just wants to make sure Grayson doesn't. They're his, after all. No one gets to touch his stuff.

And we all know dragons do that sort of thing.
(That is, if you read the right sorts of books...)

So far I've managed to refrain from nick-naming
Asher "Smaug"

"Being a Dragon" has become a legitimate offense in our house. I frequently have to remind Asher that he is acting like a dragon, and that selfishness is not allowed in our home. It's hard not to smile when commanding, in a stern-like voice, "Asher, don't be a dragon."
Motherhood is full of silly little things like that.

Now, I think this sort of selfishness is normal in a three year old. (At least I hope??) But this basic form of selfishness grows as we do, and it rears its ugly head at all ages. For example, since having children I've been surprised to find out how selfish I am about my sleep. I have to pray every night before I go to bed that the Lord will help me prevent fire flaming from my nostrils when my toddler greets me before six o'clock in the morning. (It helps when I get to bed at a decent hour!) 

Selfishness is always destructive, both to yourself and to those around you. Selfishness destroys homes, shatters friendships, rips apart marriages, and is the driving force behind those nasty self-pity-parties. Dragons are destroyers, and the only way to avoid this destruction is to avoid thinking about ourselves too much. The trick is to think out. Don't think about what you don't have, give thanks for what you do. Don't think about all the ways the world has let you down, think of all the blessings God has showered upon you. And then look to the people around you and consider the ways you can bless them. We are called to be thankful, and we are called to serve out of that thankfulness. This is our Christian duty, and this is the only weapon that can defeat dragons.

If you find that you dwell on yourself often (your circumstances, your looks, your desires, etc.), whether positively or negatively, you may want to grab yourself a sword and shield and prepare yourself for battle. There are beasts lurking in the shadows, ready to wreak havoc on your loved ones.
God has called you to knighthood. 

"Above all, [Take] the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

Ephesians 6: 16-17

As I train Asher in the ways of kindness, it is my hope and prayer that he will learn to conquer selfishness at an early age, and therefore be equipped to slay those dragons as he continues to grow into a godly man. If he achieves knighthood as a young boy, those fire-breathing beasts will be easy to recognize, track, and kill when he's a man.

But first we have to get him to learn that he's not the dragon. 

He's the one to slay it.

***


p.s... this little guy doesn't seem to think he's a dragon, 
but he may have other issues going on...

I walked into the room and found him like this.
Completely stripped and in Asher's coyboy boots.
Haha!