You Are SO Blessed

“You are blessed.”  These are the words that I said to my son last night when I called him over to correct him.  He looked at me with a curious smile.

These are not words I would have said in years past when my children were not in agreement or unity over something, and my tone of voice certainly would not have had the kind tones my son was hearing last night.  In years past, there would have been irritation in my voice and a look of irritation along with words filled with shaming.  My main concern in the past would have been mostly about myself and what a bother it was to have to deal with their arguing.  I would have wanted to get this over as quick as possible so I could get back to what I was doing.  My parenting did not embody the idea that "Character training adds time to every duty and every duty ought to stop for character training," as quoted by Marilyn Howshall and that I wrote about in "Character Training Adds Time."    I am so grateful that my children no longer experience the impatient self- centered parenting I just described coming from me.  I am so glad they don’t remember being parented in that way. 

When I saw my son’s curious smile, I asked him if he knows why it is that he is so blessed.  He wasn’t sure, so I told him that the Bible tells us that we are blessed and happy when the Lord corrects and instructs us.  I told him I get the privilege of correcting and instructing him for the Lord.  His curious smile turned into a big grin.  I hugged him and then, knowing I had his heart, I began to ask him what was going on inside of him a little while earlier when he and his sister were having a disagreement.  It was so precious to see his willingness to explain to me what he thought and how he felt when his sister said certain things, at some points tears welling up in his eyes, and then to see his understanding towards her grow as we talked the situation through.  Previous to talking to him, I had already talked things through with his sister, so now they were ready to come together and reconcile, both hearts were pliable and yielded, filled with love for each other. 

It was a blessing to my heart to hear them express their sorrow for how they had treated each other, to hear them express their new understanding of how they had hurt the other and follow that up with asking for forgiveness and a tight squeeze hug and giggles.  Yes, my children are blessed... and so am I… beyond measure. 

With every experience like this I am SO grateful for the love of my Lord, who has helped me to let go of so much and who continues to teach me to love, to live out the overcoming life.  Along with that gratitude comes a gratitude for the ministry of Lifestyle of Learning™ that the Lord brought into my life to help our family learn so much about how to "love like Christ loves."  I am so grateful our family is being rescued by the Lord.

Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law

Psalms 94:12

Character Training Adds Time

A highlight from grocery shopping not long ago was witnessing the loving kindness of a young mamma towards her children. She had two little boys maybe around the ages of 3 and 5 years. The little one did not want to share the little kid shopping cart with his big brother and began to cry as his mamma encouraged him to share.  I noticed she was encouraging the younger son to share even though the older son didn’t show and outward “need” to have a turn at the cart.  She tenderly scooped her youngest son up in her arms and gently talked to him as she snuggled him close to her. His response was to wrap his arms around her neck and sweetly say “I am sorry, Mamma” as his crying waned.  This was such beautiful evidence that she has his precious little heart. It was such a pleasure to watch this mamma in action and couldn’t hold back telling her she was doing a fabulous job with her little ones.

All through the store I saw her teaching her boys and speaking kindly to them, completely focused on them and their hearts. As I was getting ready to check out, her littlest one accidentally knocked over the little kid cart, spilling all the groceries he had collected out. His first words, were “I am sorry.” She kindly said, “It’s okay,” and they picked up the groceries and placed them back in the cart, all in sweet spirits with each other. All throughout the store, I saw her speaking words of kindness to her boys, giggling with them, talking with them, putting her arms around them at times, clearly teaching them about shopping as she pointed out where to take the cart next.  She was fully present with them. I didn't see her pull out her cell phone once, she was fully vested in her boys, they had her full attention. Her kind and generous affection for her boys was SO evident.

As I was leaving the store, she was also checking out and she smiled. I stopped and told her that I have friend who writes books about parenting and who says parenting taking lots of time. I told her it was a delight and a blessing to see her interacting with her children and taking such care and time for them, and I assured her that she is doing a great job with her boys. Her gratitude was so sweet and humble.

It was a true delight and blessing to see this mamma’s interactions with her boys embody Marilyn’s quote.  You can find Marilyn’s writings at Lifestyle of Learning™ .