And then God spoke

[sugarssweetpea]

I found myself getting frustrated with my children over them not listening on the first time I tell them something or just not listening at all. Sometimes just doing what they feel like doing. The first thought that pops into my head is you can't just go around doing what you want to do!!!

Then God spoke to me and said (as I am sitting here eating a bag of corn chips that I know that He does not want me to pollute my body with), what are YOU doing and how would you feel if I got mad at you every time you did something that did not please me.

I thank God daily for His mercy and grace & I pray that through His gentle reminders, I can show the same mercy, grace & love to my children.

[brians]

Thanks

[best]

What a beautiful awakening. Thank you for sharing that.

[gimmeid]

I've been thinking a lot lately about how it will be the way I live, not what I say that most deeply impacts my kids. From that perspective, it is a lot easier not to go into the red when she throws her dinner on the floor every night.
To think of my Dad has always been to find excuses for self pity, the drunk he was, giving me no purpose, the hell whooped outta me over petty stuff, blah blah, waa waa. Now sober, I see how many good things he instilled in me, just by being himself. Working all day, coming home (most) every night to my mom, loving her tenderly, I realized, even while still drunk, I do and have those qualities. Worth more to me now than a million bucks.
The negitive crap passed down is sure mine to accept responsibility, the buck stops here, and I stopped running and faced myself, which he never did, but self pity blinded me to the good stuff.
(that was a heck of ride, with a family of six, off somewhere else every time the drinking caught up, I cant comprehend yet how he managed it)

[sugarssweetpea]

I agree. My husband & I both are trying to figure out why we are some of the ways we are & learn from them, change them & break the chains with our children. I can so see some of my "in the red" actions in my children from my not so good choices. Changing ourselves is not easy nor is it going to happen overnight. I have lived the way I was for 33 years before I gave my heart to Christ. That is a lot of behavior to change. The good thing is, that it IS changing. Daily. I thank God every day for another chance to do something else right in His eyes. Thank God every day for showing me my mistakes & also showing me ever so gently how to correct them.

[gimmeid]

that stop running and face myself part...Like i'm a helluva fellow...i might outta add that i was still using my ears to crawl on away at the end. heheh.

[Found]

Yoiks!

My recalcitrant "children" are:

- my employer
- my church minister
- most of the congregation
- my doctors
- my bank manager

Maybe this word is for me too (gulp)