Children are such great examples.... I am so glad I am surrounded by them.
There is a beautiful innocence in my children that I can learn so incredibly much from. They teach me- if I let them.
You see, they don't have the complicated and complex hurts, experiences, or prejudices that we have developed through a life of living. They bring to the table a completely different and unaltered view.
I have a child with a disability... An obvious one. He is in a wheelchair. And what I have seen in my children has brought me to tears dozens and dozens of times. He is my oldest, and so my younger children have known nothing other than him as being in a wheelchair. It is not odd, or different, or strange to them. It is entirely their normal, and I don't honestly think it gets any thought on their behalf. My daughter loves handicap parking. Its the funniest thing how excited she gets seeing that blue sign in front of our car. "Its a handy man!" she will excitedly yell. Sometimes, we don't park in the handicap for a myriad of reasons. and I never do if my son is not with us. This saddens her, not because she cares about the proximity to the store, but because she loves seeing that blue sign. My kids all love the wheelchair too, and take turns climbing in it, riding in it, and even using it like a baby stroller. Do you know what my first thought to a wheelchair for my son was? Sadness. Now, time has certainly changed that for me as I have seen the confidence, skill, and independence my son has been given through his wheelchair. He has an amazing wheelchair that is both sporty, and cool, and provides him with amazing mobility. It really is a great chair, and I admit that I also enjoy handicap parking. :) And what we know as disability is not even a thought to them.
There are so many other ways my children teach me... Last night we were at a baseball game, and sitting behind us was a group of incredibly loud, foul- mouthed, crude, and nasty behaving people. I lost some of my enjoyment with their nastiness, and as a beer was spilled down my back! But my kids never even noticed until I pointed it out to them, and I wished afterwards that I had not. They had innocence. And I found most of my enjoyment in my kids enjoying the game. There is such a joy in seeing joy in your children, and they see joy in a much truer form, and in far more simple things. They smile easier, and bigger, and more quickly than adults ever can, and they are the better off for it. They don't worry. They don't fret. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Sin to them is so simple. It is something bad that you do. Period! There is no gray area, or murkiness. We as adults, often bring so many factors, and variables, and excuses, or complications to convictions, and standards, and it is a mess!! They are more Biblical- "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." - James 4:17 And while I've taught them that verse I am the one who complicates it the most. They don't question Scripture, they don't question God's power, or goodness, or grace. They pray in such purity of heart. Too many times too count I have heard their innocence in prayer, and been so humbled. My daughter will sit and tell God all about her day. How she went to the park, or to eat, or she played with her toys, and then she'll simply close by saying, and thank you God. Amen. My son will pray for the whole universe, and name countries that he is learning in his history work. He doesn't see the magnitude to the problem they are facing, and give up in defeat. He sees the power that God has, and trusts that He can be used by him to make a impact.
They are also incredible examples to forgiveness. I'm a mess. I get upset, I get frustrated, I lose my patience all the time!! And yet, they gleam with love for me. When I've apologized to them for my bad behavior, they have not even noticed or remembered that I acted so poorly. They forgave me, they never even held it against me in the first place. They don't hold a grudge, or need time to think on it, or even for me to make it up to them. They just forgive! All I get is hugs, and a full lap as they want my nearness more than anything. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.." - Colossians 3:13
They understand that TIME is how you spell love, and they seek out time with me more than anything else.
And there are so so many more things.
Kids are so precious. As their mommy I'm truly given a gift in their innocence, and I truly do best when I slow down, and let them be a example to me.
Let them be little.
Let them be innocent.
"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." - Mark 10:14
Now, I'd like to learn from my youngest's example, and be sound asleep in the afternoon.
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.." - Psalm 37:7
There is a beautiful innocence in my children that I can learn so incredibly much from. They teach me- if I let them.
You see, they don't have the complicated and complex hurts, experiences, or prejudices that we have developed through a life of living. They bring to the table a completely different and unaltered view.
I have a child with a disability... An obvious one. He is in a wheelchair. And what I have seen in my children has brought me to tears dozens and dozens of times. He is my oldest, and so my younger children have known nothing other than him as being in a wheelchair. It is not odd, or different, or strange to them. It is entirely their normal, and I don't honestly think it gets any thought on their behalf. My daughter loves handicap parking. Its the funniest thing how excited she gets seeing that blue sign in front of our car. "Its a handy man!" she will excitedly yell. Sometimes, we don't park in the handicap for a myriad of reasons. and I never do if my son is not with us. This saddens her, not because she cares about the proximity to the store, but because she loves seeing that blue sign. My kids all love the wheelchair too, and take turns climbing in it, riding in it, and even using it like a baby stroller. Do you know what my first thought to a wheelchair for my son was? Sadness. Now, time has certainly changed that for me as I have seen the confidence, skill, and independence my son has been given through his wheelchair. He has an amazing wheelchair that is both sporty, and cool, and provides him with amazing mobility. It really is a great chair, and I admit that I also enjoy handicap parking. :) And what we know as disability is not even a thought to them.
There are so many other ways my children teach me... Last night we were at a baseball game, and sitting behind us was a group of incredibly loud, foul- mouthed, crude, and nasty behaving people. I lost some of my enjoyment with their nastiness, and as a beer was spilled down my back! But my kids never even noticed until I pointed it out to them, and I wished afterwards that I had not. They had innocence. And I found most of my enjoyment in my kids enjoying the game. There is such a joy in seeing joy in your children, and they see joy in a much truer form, and in far more simple things. They smile easier, and bigger, and more quickly than adults ever can, and they are the better off for it. They don't worry. They don't fret. "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Sin to them is so simple. It is something bad that you do. Period! There is no gray area, or murkiness. We as adults, often bring so many factors, and variables, and excuses, or complications to convictions, and standards, and it is a mess!! They are more Biblical- "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." - James 4:17 And while I've taught them that verse I am the one who complicates it the most. They don't question Scripture, they don't question God's power, or goodness, or grace. They pray in such purity of heart. Too many times too count I have heard their innocence in prayer, and been so humbled. My daughter will sit and tell God all about her day. How she went to the park, or to eat, or she played with her toys, and then she'll simply close by saying, and thank you God. Amen. My son will pray for the whole universe, and name countries that he is learning in his history work. He doesn't see the magnitude to the problem they are facing, and give up in defeat. He sees the power that God has, and trusts that He can be used by him to make a impact.
They are also incredible examples to forgiveness. I'm a mess. I get upset, I get frustrated, I lose my patience all the time!! And yet, they gleam with love for me. When I've apologized to them for my bad behavior, they have not even noticed or remembered that I acted so poorly. They forgave me, they never even held it against me in the first place. They don't hold a grudge, or need time to think on it, or even for me to make it up to them. They just forgive! All I get is hugs, and a full lap as they want my nearness more than anything. "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another.." - Colossians 3:13
They understand that TIME is how you spell love, and they seek out time with me more than anything else.
And there are so so many more things.
Kids are so precious. As their mommy I'm truly given a gift in their innocence, and I truly do best when I slow down, and let them be a example to me.
Let them be little.
Let them be innocent.
"While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about."
"Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." - Mark 10:14
Now, I'd like to learn from my youngest's example, and be sound asleep in the afternoon.
"Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.." - Psalm 37:7
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