Weary of Saying No

   The warm, yellow rays soothed my skin and I could feel my body start to relax.  Thank you, God, for sunshine and a moment of peace, 'cause mothering seems extra hard today.  How can one day seem so easy and immediately following, the next day seem so hard?

     So much that we experience in parenting is really a matter of our perspective, isn't it?

     If, in my mind, I felt that I shouldn't have to tell my children "no" more than ten times in a day, then on time # 11, I'd probably begin to experience weariness or frustration.

     What if I expected that my entire day -- minute by minute -- could require me to consistently hold to an answer previously given?  Would I then perceive that things are as they should be?

     You see, in this day by day, week by week, journey of parenting, I'm called to consistency.  It doesn't matter whether I feel tired or lazy, the same standard remains for me as mom, as it does for my kids as the children.

     How often, though, do I feel my children still need to adhere to obedience while I take a break on my congruity?


     When put into those terms, I see the need for more grace extended to my own self, as the mom, but also the need for more courage to keep going.  We all get weary . . . that's to be expected when we are tackling the greatest role there is out there!  But there's a difference between weariness (we need a break) and laziness (we just don't "feel" like it).

     How do we juggle it all?  We ask God to show us where the balance needs to be -- how to be willing to give ourselves a respite but then be ready to go back to our role with renewed love and gentle determination.  They say, "Rome wasn't built in a day" and fortunately neither are our children.  Each day is a fresh beginning and another opportunity to mold our children into who God wants them to become.

"We do not want you to become lazy,

but to imitate those who through faith

and patience inherit what has been promised."

Hebrews 6:12

P.S. ~  One fun thing to try, too, that I was told years ago -- is that although the word "no" can, and should, be used -- see how many other ways you can intersperse instruction with positive wording.  For example, instead of, "No, you can't have a sucker", try, "Even though you can't have a sucker, you may have an apple." It is so easy to get stuck in the police mode of no, no, no; when there are so many other happy ways to answer a precious question.  Keep loving those little ones!

Perspective

     He wandered around our home for over an hour, room to room . . . CLICK, CLICK, CLICK.  The sounds from the old, chipped camera filled the air as my four year-old tirelessly continued to press the shutter button.  I didn't think much of it at the time -- in fact, it wasn't till all of my children were sound asleep that I remembered the old camera was still sitting silent on the counter.

     I half-sighed as I picked up the camera, assuming I would find a plethora of blurry pictures that would need to be deleted . . . but to my surprise, as the scratched, digital screen came to life, there before my eyes began a collection of pictures that took a moment's breath away from me.  The screen filled with marvelous pictures of all different rooms and people, but at angles and heights I had never viewed.

     How could I delete these little wonders of perspective, from a view that was so distinctly different than mine?

     Then, it was as if God began to whisper, "I have a perspective totally different than yours, too, my daughter.  Rest in me to bring fullness to your pictures of life." 

     My mind went to the verse in Isaiah 55 that says God's thoughts are not our thoughts and neither are His ways our ways.  It is so true!  In fact, as many times as I've assumed I knew what God was going to do or that I thought I knew what something was going to look like in the days ahead -- in hindsight, I haven't had it figured out at all.

     Where is the lesson in all of this?  The perspective found in the hands of my four year-old that day reminded me of an age old truth . . . God is the ONLY ONE who's vantage point offers the complete picture of my life.  As His child, I need to let go of forcing my ways and let His ways reign over everything.  My eyes set on Jesus will eventually answer any questions I have along the way!

"Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground,

absorbed with the things right in front of you.

Look up, and be alert to what is going on around

Christ - that's where the action is.  See things from

HIS PERSPECTIVE."

Colossians 3:2