From the mouths of babes…..

“I’m going to start my day beautiful…..”- Fashionista, age 5

Sometimes, we break through a situation when we least expect it. And, God willing, we are paying attention when it happens. This quote from my little girl, was said to me as she met me at my bedside earlier this week. Although I asked her what that meant, my heart already knew….she wanted change. She got it….she was beginning to understand that our actions are meant to be actionary not reactionary.

I can’t tell you the number of times that I have had a “pep talk” with the Fashionista. She is such a special little girl but has inherited the Irish quick temper. She goes from 0-10 in about three seconds. She screams in a heartbeat and the fists go up and you know trouble is coming. The hubs and I have been working diligently with her this year at teaching her how to grab control of her temper; know when she’s done her part in trying to work a problem out, and grabbing one of us before it escalates. For the most part, she has really tried but some days I think she is wearing a butt print in her mattress. (My mom would laugh, as I spent one summer doing the same…..memorized every swirl on my comforter that summer)

However, on this particular day I was so impressed with how she woke up with the thought that today would be different…..and different it was. I watched her reading lovingly with her little sister, Miss Missy. Then I peeked in during her barbie time with Mini Me and watched as they cheerfully created “situations” for their barbies to encounter and things for them to do. Several times I heard her raise her voice, but…she never freaked out. She was in control. She “checked in” with me several times this day to make sure she was “doing a good job”.

As I closed the door to her bedroom after kissing her goodnight, I felt called to “reenter”. I needed her to know that I “noticed” how truly beautiful she had made today.  Don’t we all need that? How beautiful it is when someone notices something that we have been working on or struggling with and have made strides….
So I grabbed her up and brought her to my bed. She and I laid across the bed looking at each other and I told her how amazing I thought she was. How hard I knew it was for her to do what she did today but how truly pleasing it was to the heart of Christ. I told her that I don’t expect her to be perfect, that I know not everyday can be about not getting angry at all but that I appreciate her willingness to try. We talked about how Jesus fell three times on his journey to the cross and how we will too. I thanked her for making such a beautiful choice to start her day…..

Then…in Fashionista’s style….we spent the next ten minutes practicing her back bends for her gymnastics class. She clearly has a goal of the top tier of the Olympic platform and is practicing whenever possible. =)

I am so thankful for these “teachable moments” that I am granted with my kids.

Lord, teach me to always be ready to “listen” as much as I feel inclined to “lecture”………..