In Psalm 127 it says that children are a gift and one who has many of them are blessed. I read this passage many times in the past, but when I read it again the other day I laughed to myself. I wondered if the writer, of Psalm 127, was a fly on my wall. Would he just continue to remind me of my gifts and blessings, would he be disgusted with me, or would he be proud. I am not sure. But I do know one thing for sure. My children are a gift and I am truly blessed beyond measure. More than I will ever deserve. Then, I got thinking about a 'gift'. When we give gifts there are normally strings attached. We give a gift because that person is going to be giving us a gift. Because then they will owe us something. Because it is Christmas and everybody must get a gift for everybody they know. Because we want our name on a plaque or proclaimed among everybody that “we gave“. Yes, this is how we give gifts. But not God. He gives freely. With no strings attached. His gifts are for our good and for His glory. When I first started raising my children, there were days I thought I was not very blessed and, to be honest, I still have those days. But then I’m reminded of what my children do for me. You see, everything I see in my children that frustrates me, that makes me angry, or that I just don’t understand, are my faults reflected back. That is the gift that God gives to me daily. I am humbled daily. I see what I am capable of without His grace. I see what I would be if He did not discipline me. I now have a glimpse at what He deals with daily. When He listens to my complaining, never ending discontent, laziness, greed, and selfishness. I thought back to that fly on the wall and the things that are constantly being said between these walls. The things I get after my children about daily, are also things that could be said right back to me and to every human being ever born. You see, as we age we don’t become less childlike. We may understand the difference between right and wrong, but that does not change our desire to do what is wrong. We will always have the human nature we were born with. We just learn to hide it, be sneaky about it, or manipulative. So, this is called maturity, the ability to hide what we’re really thinking. Wow, how humbling! See this is the gift of children. They remind us who we really are, but for the grace of God. The following is a list of the things I often say to my children. Sometimes all of them in the same day. Other times over the course of a week. I sometimes wonder “when are they going to get it”. But then I remember, I am almost thirty years old and I still have not gotten it. So, God has given me children and has used my own mouth to instruct and remind me……….
It is not nice to be happy when someone else is sad
If you do not have room for your vegetables, you do not have room for desert
Never talk back to your mother
Go outside
Go find something productive to do
It’s quiet time, everybody needs some quiet time
Use your manners
Never give up, persevere, come on , you can do it
Good job, I knew you could do it
Let’s get this work done, then we can go do something fun
Find some way to help
Be a helper
Be a good listener, I need good listeners
I know that you’re tired, so am I, but we need to get through this
If you can not behave you will be disciplined
Let’s be hard workers
Enough of the whining and crying
Stop thinking only about yourself
I love you so much
Stay by me, always stay right by me
Hold my hand
I know that it hurts, but yelling and screaming will not make it better
Even if you do not like the food I prepared for you, eat it anyway
Take care of your siblings, look out for each other, keep them safe
Stop fighting
No, I am not buying that, you have enough stuff
Wait, be patient
Be thankful for what ever you are given
