Saturday, April 01, 2006

Is that too much to ask for?


Lately my kids have been very restless and have not been getting along with one another. They seem to have a lot of hate and discontent for each other. Things are really hard enough as it is with Buddy being gone that I really do not need my kids turning on one another. I realize that brothers and sisters will fight, I know this. I am the oldest of 5 and boy I couldn't stand my brothers and sisters. Just ask my brother Bobby, I tried to electrocute him when he was little. I made him touch a large electric ice cooler with barefeet on a wet floor. It's a moment in his life that neither one of us will forget. But now, we all love each other and get along great. I can't imagine my life without them. I realize now that I am older that that is just how siblings act. We fight, then we grow up.

They look like they love each other, don't they?

So, I know that there is hope for my kids. I really don't know how real single parents do it alone. Although I have been a single parent for almost 3 years, I do have a husband that does his best to help with the disciplining of our children. And I try to respect that, which is hard since he is not in the home and I could easily undermind him. But I respect his authority. And Lord knows I need to. But the day that he comes home will be the day that the gray goes away. Well, probably not, but...
Anyways, back to the original story, last night after a long evening of fighting and quarreling among the Bennett children, I put them all to bed and was trying to think of a way to really get their attention. I have tried everything. So I started to read A Mother's Heart and I came across a verse in it that really spoke to me, so I hoped it would speak to my kids. I crawled out of the bed and went to the computer and wrote letters to my kids from God. Very simple letters that they would all understand.

Jessica,
1 Peter 4:8..Above all love one another deeply, because loves covers over a multitude of sins.
Love, God

Then I printed each one out in large lettering and taped it to wall by their doorways to their rooms. When they got up they all saw the letters and Jess and Jordan read it to Jackson. Then he came running to me very excited and very out of breath saying "God was in my room last night! He wrote me a letter, come see!" So I ran back to his room with him and read it to him again. I explained to him what the letter meant and why God might have put it there. He was thoroughly enthralled in the whole story. He told me that he love me and he loved his sisters and he didn't want to sin like that anymore. I don't know what kind of affect this will have on him this evening or tomorrow or even the next 2 weeks of spring break (God love me!), but that one second of the peacefulness in his voice and on his face was well worth it! He went home with a friend after the ball game today, but I will say that the girls are helping each other right now clean their rooms and there has not been one fight among them today. And yes they have memorized this verse already!
It's a start. So, we'll see what happens. All I ask for is a little bit of harmony and solitude ever now and again, that's not too much to ask for, is it?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

And don't forget Psalm 133:1

I've been known to bellow it at my kids, speak it with a wry sarcasm, or utter it in tones of utmost sincerity... Oh! And every once in awhile I get to use it for praise

Behold how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity!

Hang in there!