Good vs. Good...what?? REVISED

For those of you who know and love Jeremy (who couldn't?) you know that it takes A LOT to make him angry. A LOT. I know this based on several experiments I have conducted in that arena. The statistics prove that Jeremy will become slightly frustrated for .03 seconds and then will be fine again, and offer the offender hot chocolate and cookies. Jeremy has exactly enough patience for 18 people.

How did I get so lucky? I don't know. Perhaps Heavenly Father knew we were bound to end up together and thus bestowed on Jeremy what he would need to not go crazy. *TING*

Yesterday, as Jeremy and I were enjoying a walk, a rabid mailbox sprang up from the ground and bit Jeremy's jacket, tearing a hole in it. With a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his lips, Jeremy stuck his finger in the hole and said, "Look! I can feel the stuffing!"

It made me laugh!

It made me think...

I have been reading a book entitled "The Gift of Fire," (THANK YOU, MOM! AWESOME BOOK!) and the author talks about rearing children (which you really can't do, but I can't explain what he meant in one blog...Well...I will try anyway...He says that the only person we can "rear" is our self. So, in essence, the only child you are rearing is you, since, while we maybe "legal adults" we are still trying to grow up and behave appropriately for the right reasons.). He asks the question, Which is better: To behave (be outwardly good) or to be moral (inwardly good)? He gives the example of not throwing grapefruit at the grocery store versus being perfectly honest. Now, which would you want as a parent? I came to the conclusion that I would like both in my child(ren). Are you good because it is socially acceptable, or are you good because it is an innate part of who you are?
I fully believe Jeremy is patient because it is an innate part of who he is, whether bestowed on him from God, or from years of practice. Patience really isn't a socially acceptable trend these days as it is. Have you ever been to a Wal-Mart parking lot?? Sheesh...

The scary thing is that, years down the road, perhaps throwing grapefruit in the store will be acceptable or other things will become acceptable, and those driven by social acceptability will just go with the flow. On the other hand, those driven by moral goodness, and in innate sense of rightness, will do what is right all the time, no matter what may be trendy. Although, I might just go along with the grapefruit-throwing trend. Sounds kinda fun...

So, if it boiled down to what I would desire in a child (or myself, rather) I would chose innate moral goodness. What about YOU?