You Have Great Kids!

Honestly I hear that statement several times on a daily basis. My reply is always, "I know, you are right! I am very blessed!" I do have wonderful children. I often heard my mom say (when hearing how great her kids were) "They really are great in spite of me, I had nothing to do with it." That is how I feel. I really feel that every person has that great potential and it becomes what the parents focus on. If I were to focus on what makes me angry about my children then that is what you would see. I decided years ago to instead focus on their positive traits.

Growing up I was labeled by family as being very spirited and argumentative. Now this can be viewed as good or bad. I was blessed with a strong sense of self value and I guess that encouraged me to develop my personality instead of hiding it. I often see insecure people that are afraid to be themselves because of something their older brother, a teacher or a mean parent told them when they are five. I know that God created me this way. I need to work hard to develop my personality and mirror it to Christ. Denying who I was created for is not right either.

In that same respect I look at my children and their strong traits. It is my job to help them to mold those traits into Christ. It is my job to help them find the human boundaries that they need so that they don't present themselves to the world in a way that disrespects who the Creator wants them to be. It is true that I do not know the entire plan. God only gives me a taste and for that I am most thankful.

My Moogie is one of the most strong willed and determined young people ever born. Back when she was about 4 years old I sat in church fighting with her. I could not get her to settle down. All the tricks that had worked with the first 4 were not working on her. Part of me was torn with "the way she should be" and the other part thinking about "how God made her". I remember kneeling with her little body pinned to the pew by me. I had her knees between by legs as we both knelt forward. I was keeping my knees close to hold her still.

I broke into private prayer in my mind as I struggled to settle this strong child. "I don't want to hurt this child, I don't want to kill her spirit but WHY. I don't understand why she fights me on everything. What am I supposed to do???" The answer was spoken so quietly in my mind. "This is my child and I love her very much. She is exactly the way I need her to be. It is your job to form her and bring her to me. This child needs to be this way to accomplish the tasks I have for her. Continue to teach her to behave in church but don't forget that I made her feisty and strong for me." If you read my other posts you will see that we discovered 2 years later that Moogie had a mal formed heart. God wanted her feisty, and maybe it was just so that she could endure those physical issues. I doubt that is all.

I see His Greatness in all of my children. One is extremely compassionate. She hears any story and prayers for weeks about it. Another gets locked into a thought and can't move on. Another wants to be constantly in charge and lead his siblings all the time. So many children with so many gifts and talents.

I do have great kids, but so do you. Follow their personalities and help to form the strong traits not change them. Work with God and his creation not against it. Then rejoice and celebrate when you see the positives.