In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to share a story with you. It's one of those stories that is so rewarding that it makes you want to cry...at least it made me cry.
It isn't anything too amazing. It's just one of those stories that makes you feel like all the things you teach your children really does make a difference. A story that makes you realize that they are listening to you after all.
Anyway...As most of you know, I have three children. For their entire existence I have taken them to church, taught them Bible stories, prayed with them, and tried my best to lead them to the Lord. Some are more receptive than others and others...well, they prefer video games. As a mother, I constantly worry whether or not my kids are really hearing me; do they pay attention in Sunday School; why don't they want to read the Bible the way they want to read the latest book series; am I being the best role model I can be for them? I'm sure most mother's can relate. Well, something happened earlier this week that made me see that even my video game lover is in fact listening to me.
My husband and I decided to do something crazy and go out to dinner...just the two of us. We left our 16 year old in charge with all of the instructions of what to do and what not to do and who to call and who not to call. It wasn't her first time babysitting. She's done it before and we were confident that everyone was in good hands with her. It got to be around dinner time so she was preparing a delicious meal of frozen Salisbury steaks and mashed potatoes when she accidentally spilled hot gravy on her arm. In the heat of the moment she calls me. Now, I don't know if you've ever received one of these phone calls but let me tell you, they're not for the faint of heart.
I'm sitting at dinner when my phone rings. I see that it's my 16 year old daughter but I don't panic. She calls me all the time when she's babysitting, but this time when I answer the phone I hear incoherent, high pitched weeping. I can't understand what she's saying because the restaurant is loud and she's upsets. Worse case scenarios start playing in my head and for one brief second I think about abandoning my husband at the table without a word and racing for home as fast as I can. Instead, I regain my composure and start calming my daughter down and giving her instructions. After a few minutes, everyone calms down. She's got ice on her arm and all is good again in the world. My husband and I come home shortly afterwards to see our 16 year old on the couch, still icing her arm.
Now here's the good part of the story. My 16 year old told me that after she got off the phone with me and all the chaos had died down, my video game loving 11 year old son took my 7 year old daughter by the hand, walked over to my injured daughter and said, "Do you want us to pray for you?"
But then again, I cried while watching Justin Bieber's Never Say Never movie so who knows.
It isn't anything too amazing. It's just one of those stories that makes you feel like all the things you teach your children really does make a difference. A story that makes you realize that they are listening to you after all.
Anyway...As most of you know, I have three children. For their entire existence I have taken them to church, taught them Bible stories, prayed with them, and tried my best to lead them to the Lord. Some are more receptive than others and others...well, they prefer video games. As a mother, I constantly worry whether or not my kids are really hearing me; do they pay attention in Sunday School; why don't they want to read the Bible the way they want to read the latest book series; am I being the best role model I can be for them? I'm sure most mother's can relate. Well, something happened earlier this week that made me see that even my video game lover is in fact listening to me.
My husband and I decided to do something crazy and go out to dinner...just the two of us. We left our 16 year old in charge with all of the instructions of what to do and what not to do and who to call and who not to call. It wasn't her first time babysitting. She's done it before and we were confident that everyone was in good hands with her. It got to be around dinner time so she was preparing a delicious meal of frozen Salisbury steaks and mashed potatoes when she accidentally spilled hot gravy on her arm. In the heat of the moment she calls me. Now, I don't know if you've ever received one of these phone calls but let me tell you, they're not for the faint of heart.
I'm sitting at dinner when my phone rings. I see that it's my 16 year old daughter but I don't panic. She calls me all the time when she's babysitting, but this time when I answer the phone I hear incoherent, high pitched weeping. I can't understand what she's saying because the restaurant is loud and she's upsets. Worse case scenarios start playing in my head and for one brief second I think about abandoning my husband at the table without a word and racing for home as fast as I can. Instead, I regain my composure and start calming my daughter down and giving her instructions. After a few minutes, everyone calms down. She's got ice on her arm and all is good again in the world. My husband and I come home shortly afterwards to see our 16 year old on the couch, still icing her arm.
Now here's the good part of the story. My 16 year old told me that after she got off the phone with me and all the chaos had died down, my video game loving 11 year old son took my 7 year old daughter by the hand, walked over to my injured daughter and said, "Do you want us to pray for you?"
I KNOW!!!
I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about it! What a great feeling it was to hear that. It made me see that just because he seems to only care about video games right now there is still hope. Someone should invent some exciting Biblical video games.
"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6
♥ Diana
(aka Jurney Eve)
(aka Jurney Eve)
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