You want some cheese with that whine?

Read Philippians 4



This morning, my son whined because I fed him cereal instead of waffles.

Then he whined because his cereal was higher than the milk.

Then he whined because he wanted to eat in the kitchen, not the dining room.

Once he dragged his tall seat into the kitchen, he whined because it was still too short for him to eat at the counter.

By then, he whined because his cereal was soggy.


I really thought I was a better parent than to allow this sort of thing. He’s four. Shouldn’t he be over this phase? I think he hunts things out to complain about. It makes me crazy and will one day drive the rest of the world insane if we don’t get to the bottom of this. But while I live and breathe James 1:5 in connection to the whining problem, that’s not the point of this post.


“I’m just having a rough day!” He sobbed into his arms.


“You know, don’t you,” I told him (not so sympathetically), “that you are making your day rough.”


He didn’t appreciate my wisdom in the slightest.


He was spending his time focusing on the little things that upset him.


He has no control over what he got for breakfast. I, the benevolent dictator, make those sorts of decisions around here. But he whined about it anyway.


The milk/cereal ratio could have been addressed with a simple, “Mommy, may I please have a little more milk?” But he whined about it anyway.


I honestly don’t understand the need to move from one room to another. I just don’t get it. The food is on the table, so eat it. It doesn’t seem that complicated.


I am so grateful that my Heavenly Father gets me. He already knows my heart, so he doesn’t have to analyze my motivations. And he is so infinitely patient with me. Even when I make my life harder than it needs to be by complaining and worrying about things that a) I cannot control and b) do not matter.


I have my own set of things that make me crazy that make no difference in eternity. This morning’s episode with my youngest reminds me to take a breath and let it go. Don’t sweat the small stuff, as they say.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things. 

 Philippians 4:8