“You just don’t understand children!” she stomped her foot as tears wet her eyelashes.
My heart boiled hot and anger flashed, but no words flew out of my mouth. No angry tirades and somehow peace. . . Peace beyond me settled in my heart as my mind whirled.
Sometimes I get angry
What do I do with that Lord? I prayed and pondered as I turned and said with an edge in my tone, “You will put on those clothes by the time I get back or there will be consequences.”
As I left her to put on her church clothes a still small voice answered my prayer.
Grace and truth. Jesus grew in grace and truth. The words pressed my heart.
Do to others as you would have them do it you. My heart squeezed tighter.
I knew I didn’t always treat my kids how I wanted to be treated.
If I don’t show them the right way to act when someone treats me wrong how can I expect them to act right? I wondered as gratitude for God’s goodness washed over me. It was God who kept me from lashing out in anger. Yet my anger was a cue – a cue that I needed to address something with my child.
And so it is that grace and truth cover our mothering. Grace not to lash out when our children deserve a good lashing, but truth to say that is not how you treat someone else.
Truth to say, “You need to ‘honor your mother and father,’ as God tells us to in His Word.”
Discipline in truth whatever the appropriate consequence may be.
Yet give them grace when the time is right to imitate the love of God and to win their hearts as well as their deeds.
And grace to say, “You are a child. You will make mistakes. I am here to train you so you learn from those mistakes and grow in grace and truth.”
How do you balance grace and truth as you mother? What works for you? What doesn’t work?
WE ARE LINKED UP AT:
- Ch…ch…ch…CHANGES Are Coming in 2017 for TMI - December 27, 2016
- What New Thing Are You Ready to See God Do in Your Life in 2017? - December 26, 2016
- Heaviness and Newness - December 23, 2016
