The subtle art of..

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Naomi has a new found hobby. And, we are soon finding out that this little one has a mind of her own. She will fling open the cabinet drawers and throw stuff out, and stuff some of it in her mouth. If you catch her in the middle of the act, she will throw back her head, fall to the ground and cry. While she is doing this, she usually opens one eye, as if to check if we are paying attention. If we don't pay attention, she will follow us around, and re-enact the whole thing.

I find myself having to hold back a smile, because she is funny and cute at the same time. But, reminds me that we start this act early. The subtle art of manipulation.

Taken to an extreme, manipulation means using someone for devious intent. But, at a more subtle level, we indulge in it in our day to day lives. I found myself telling Daniel,
"Please sleep in your room on your Thomas bed, and don't go to Daddy's bedroom in the middle of the night. Thomas will be sad, if you do that. Do you want Thomas to be sad?". To which, he replies, "Nooo, Thomas cannot be sad. Jesus is there with him".

Oh, nice. The child remembers everything we tell him. And also knows how to catch Mommy when she is trying to manipulate him to do what she wants, using indirect ways. Mommy knows Thomas is not sad. Mommy knows that her child doesn't want Thomas to be alone. But, that still didn't stop her from extending her imagination, to get what she wants Daniel to do. That, is the subtle art of manipulation. Mommy could have easily expressed that Daniel sleeping in his bedroom makes her proud of him. Makes him a big boy. But, Thomas is so real to Daniel, which makes her tale manipulative.

Manipulation, is a respectable sin which is what makes it all the more dangerous. At the heart of it, it involves saying half truths, or making other people do things they didn't originally want to do. Somehow, getting their brains to think in a certain way, by putting ideas and thoughts in their heads.

But, why is it so hard to do it based on truth, God's light? Isn't it ironic that Satan is actually the master manipulator. He feeds us with lies. Over time, we believe it, if we let it take root. We tell ourselves - we do this for our good, for the good of our children. 

Lord, give me the heart to seek your truth,
Father, teach me your ways.
Teach me to walk in your light,
And hold on to your teaching.
You know my battles,
Teach me not to be blind to the possibility of sin,
Help me to walk in the freedom of speaking the truth.

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