I have a friend whose family motto is, "All the way, right away, and with a happy heart."
I loved it when I heard it, which was at a time I was already thinking about obedience. I was not satisfied with the grudging, delayed obedience I was getting from my kids.
All the way? I can manage that. Right away? Also doable. But with a happy heart? There's the kicker. How do you teach a happy heart? "You better do this cheerfully or else..." I don't think so. My only conclusion was that it is by example. Groan. Familiar feelings of guilt and inadequacy resurface.
Soon after this epiphany, my mother-in-law gave me a Mary Engelbreit notepad with this quote: "Plant seeds of kindness and harvest happy hearts." Granted, it is a little simplistic and rosy-sounding, but, really, doesn't that jive with what I had figured out?
My bottom line is this: Outward obedience can (and should) be enforced. But the part that really matters, the "heart" part, cannot be taught without example. If not cheerful, I should be joyful in dealing with my kids even when my tasks are unpleasant.
Today I feel like we are making baby steps in the right direction. Yesterday I would have said it is hopeless. Tomorrow may bring another valley. I pray I can be an example of happy obedience and that God blesses the hearts of my kids to realize the joy in cheerful obedience.
Shared with MOB Society.
Shared with MOB Society.
3 comments:
What a great thought, and very condemning to me. At the same time it gives me hope that there is a way to teach my children cheerful obedience, IF I can discipline myself.
The book is called "Don't make me count to three!" Author Ginger Plowman
A verse out ofthe book Phillipans 2:14
Another quote "delayed obedience is disobedience. It all starts in the mother's heart. Anna you are an awesome writer!
Thanks, Jenny. I will definitely be looking up that book. We listen to a Patch the Pirate song with the words, "To delay is to disobey." We quote that often. :-)
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