Prayer, Bible Study, Fasting, Meditation.
These are the four things that our ministry encourages us to do to draw us closer to God and strengthen a personal relationship with Him.
This morning during my bible study time (still reading through Matthew. I'll say it again: slow and steady!), I felt myself starting to drift. Then I realized I wasn't drifting, I was meditating. (!!!)
Yesterday I stumbled upon a blog that had an amazing idea: write your own blog about how and why you love your husband. (Definitely gonna do it...later!) This morning I read where Christ says, "Let the children come to Me...for such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14. How do I love children?
How do I love my kids? (I LOVE my children, that's a given, right?) Then how do I love other kids? Playgroup kids? (And their mommas!) The (really annoying whiner) little girl across the street? The bigger kids next door (who tend to kick their balls into my yard)? How much time do I spend criticizing or analyzing the parenting style of a mother/family? (Answer: a lot, why do I have to be so critical?)
Our playgroup has helped me a lot with this (stupid) tendency. My critical eye got a smack-down a couple weeks ago when I realized that sweet Hadley was just that. She was just sweet. Then I realized that Anna was just that, just sweet. Then Sarah. And on and on and on. I don't know what the moment was. Probably when she gave me a toothy grin about letter magnets. I am sorry, but that grin filled my heart and simply MOVED the animosity and criticism. It made it SO much easier to see every single mom and every single one of the children as simply sweet, the love of their mother's life, a joy to be around.
You know, not every kid gets the love that the kids who are a part of our (stay-at-home-moms) playgroup get. I am not going to be able to save or even help them all (at least not in this life), but I sure can love them. Even if they don't know it. It's not about the faults of the family's parenting style, it's about the kids and the potential they have.
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