The Best 3 Word Plan:
Love. Everybody. Always.
Love the hard people, at the hardest times, in the kindest ways.
"... I’m bankrupt without love.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t ... fly off the handle, doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best... keeps going to the end. Love never dies." 1Cor13:MSG
Love is more than something you feel when life's good;
Love is a choice that you *do* when life's hard.
And ya know what hit me the deepest? Love doesn't.....fly off the handle. In my current parenting season I feel like I am constantly being tested and pushed to my limit. And my response hasn't been love. I've been caught in a cycle of raised voices, frustration and even anger at times. LOVE DOESN'T FLY OFF THE HANDLE. I needed to read that. I needed to feel it deep. My kids, my husband, they need me to respond with love, in a loving way. They don't need my frustration, my raised voice. I've been responding with a knee-jerk reaction. My kids, my babies, they need love. Just like God ALWAYS loves us, I need to show them love, even in moments of discipline. I'm not teaching them anything positive by raising my voice, by showing instant frustration. That is not how our Father shows us love. and HE trusted me with these beautiful babies. He trusted me to raise them with His love. That doesn't mean don't discipline, it just means discipline from a place of love, not instant reaction. It's so hard not to get caught up in the moment when they misbehave, or disobey. It's so easy to instantly react, without really thinking. And I know, even as an adult, it can hurt being responded to that way. It can cause resentment and anger even. I always want my kids to feel like they can come to me. That even when they mess up I will be right here with open arms.
Maybe what this taught me is even bigger then just keeping my cool in times of frustration and anger. This is God looking right at me and saying "you don't have to do this alone". God shows us endless lessons in love, and also that He is always with us even when we turn our backs to him. Parenting is hard, marriage is hard, sometimes just getting out of bed and facing the day can be hard and the wonderful news is we NEVER have to face it alone, we usually just choose to. I've found that every time I try to put God first in my life is when things get more difficult. Excuses fly out of my mouth at rapt speed for why I don't go to church, or read my bible or even pray.
Coincidentally this morning, I decided to open my devotional for the first time in a month and it was another shot to my heart..maybe my soul this time. "I wasn't ready for church yet, but I was ready for God." It then went on to ask "where do you go to connect with God? When was the last time you were in a space that made you feel connected to him, or aware of him" I think I tell myself in order to put God first I have to be going to church and that's not exactly true. I can seek Him anywhere. I can meditate on Him, I can pour my heart out to Him anywhere. And in the middle of a toddler throwing a massive tantrum I need to seek Him first, then react to the situation. "God help me find the words to get me through this moment" I mean, really that takes no time at all. And it gives me a second to think before I speak. It's no instant fix, I'm sure I'll raise my voice and regret it but now I feel so much more aware of the impact of my reactions. I mean, I always have known that they learn from how I act, how I respond in any situation. But I just need love to be in the forefront. How can I react in this situation that shows love? I don't know you guys, I don't have all the answers, but I do know that throughout many ups and downs in my life, the ups always happen when I have God as the center.
Choose Love.
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