As I perused my handy-dandy "Meet the Dugger's" shabby second-hand book, desperately reviewing their "blanket-training technique" in answer to my tornado two-year-old, I happened to see a quote about how contentment--with what we have and situations that may be frustrating--is one of the hardest things to teach our children, but that it is very important.
Hmmm...
It stirred a little thought in my brain that echoes the messages I have been getting from On High the last couple turbulent days: "Be still" "Be content" "Count your blessings"...and over all that, the message: "Trust me...."
It is the message I got from reading "You are Special" by Max Lucado to my little ones when I read the lines: "You are special because I made you, and I don't make mistakes....Come to me every day and let me tell you how much I love you."
It is the message I got when reading "No Room for a Sneeze" (complete personal classic!!), where the couple keeps going to a wise man (God, in my book), and the answers he gives them to help with their problem seems to look a lot worse than the original situation as they trustingly follow the wise man's advice! Trust me...I see the end picture.
Anyway, so today I tried it.
"Mom, can I exercise during devotional? I don't have much time this morning and want to shower before our Hungarian tutor comes." Calm, calm...personal grooming is important. Devotional. Spirit. Distraction that comes. Hmmmm...contentment = follow the spirit and then be good with whatever happens. Hmmmm...not easy!
Answer? I felt inspired to insist on no exercise during devotional, and then opened our kid's picture scripture book to the story of Job, a terrific example of being able to be content. We read that. The spirit was thick. Song and prayer. Shortest devotional on record...contentment. Deep breath. All is good!
Later, I came across this quote when I googled "how to teach children to be content" (you can learn anything online, right :)? It was worth saving, although I found no other helpful tips on that site :) :
"The old hymn, “It is well with my soul”, has been buzzing through my mind today and I looked up the story behind it. Horatio Spafford, a wealthy Chicago Lawyer, lost a son to Scarlet Fever, then lost all his investment properties in the great Chicago fire. Distressed, he decided to take his wife and four daughters to England for a break but, at the last minute, was unable to travel with them. The boat went down sparing only his wife. He caught the next vessel to be with her and as they passed the mark where his children had perished he wrote the words to the famous hymn. What a truly amazing example of being at peace! He deliberately chose not to go to the depths of despair, but to declare through the words of these lyrics, that his soul was at peace."
source: http://www.forefrontfamilies.org/content/view/402/10/
As I have thought today about how to teach my children how to be content (since the internet wasn't really any help), I realized that it would be most effectively taught by example :). Sigh. Can I truly learn the art of being content in what matters? Not complacent...there is a difference. Content.
Content, to me, means actively seeking to do what is best at the moment, day, or week, and then, despite apparent imperfections or imperfections or despite seeming insignificance, being okay with ourselves and what we are doing. Content means following the Spirit, joyfully, peacefully, and full of trust, knowing God knows the end from the beginning.
Content with 10 kids.
Content with myself even if I don't speak even passing-fair Hungarian.
Content to sit and snuggle with little ones.
Content read a few pages, when chapters are beckoning, but so are the kids and house :).
Content with a day where the homeschool classes are all half-finished, we are not prepared like I would like to be for our sweet Hungarian tutor, Papaya shatters glass on the floor five minutes after spilling corn meal all down the hall, the house is in shambles, dinner needs to be made,... but the most important thing right that moment is to talk to my wonderful mother. I know that, but to be content with doing only what I can, sometimes can be so challenging. Doesn't that seem silly? I mean, "content with doing only what I can" means it is just not physically possible to do more, and yet I let Satan tell me that I should be doing more? Crazy.
I seek to be content to know that when I feel peace in my heart, (despite a house full of noise, confusion and mess) the Lord is happy with me, and He is with me.
Hmmm...
It stirred a little thought in my brain that echoes the messages I have been getting from On High the last couple turbulent days: "Be still" "Be content" "Count your blessings"...and over all that, the message: "Trust me...."
It is the message I got from reading "You are Special" by Max Lucado to my little ones when I read the lines: "You are special because I made you, and I don't make mistakes....Come to me every day and let me tell you how much I love you."
It is the message I got when reading "No Room for a Sneeze" (complete personal classic!!), where the couple keeps going to a wise man (God, in my book), and the answers he gives them to help with their problem seems to look a lot worse than the original situation as they trustingly follow the wise man's advice! Trust me...I see the end picture.
Anyway, so today I tried it.
"Mom, can I exercise during devotional? I don't have much time this morning and want to shower before our Hungarian tutor comes." Calm, calm...personal grooming is important. Devotional. Spirit. Distraction that comes. Hmmmm...contentment = follow the spirit and then be good with whatever happens. Hmmmm...not easy!
Answer? I felt inspired to insist on no exercise during devotional, and then opened our kid's picture scripture book to the story of Job, a terrific example of being able to be content. We read that. The spirit was thick. Song and prayer. Shortest devotional on record...contentment. Deep breath. All is good!
Later, I came across this quote when I googled "how to teach children to be content" (you can learn anything online, right :)? It was worth saving, although I found no other helpful tips on that site :) :
"The old hymn, “It is well with my soul”, has been buzzing through my mind today and I looked up the story behind it. Horatio Spafford, a wealthy Chicago Lawyer, lost a son to Scarlet Fever, then lost all his investment properties in the great Chicago fire. Distressed, he decided to take his wife and four daughters to England for a break but, at the last minute, was unable to travel with them. The boat went down sparing only his wife. He caught the next vessel to be with her and as they passed the mark where his children had perished he wrote the words to the famous hymn. What a truly amazing example of being at peace! He deliberately chose not to go to the depths of despair, but to declare through the words of these lyrics, that his soul was at peace."
source: http://www.forefrontfamilies.org/content/view/402/10/
As I have thought today about how to teach my children how to be content (since the internet wasn't really any help), I realized that it would be most effectively taught by example :). Sigh. Can I truly learn the art of being content in what matters? Not complacent...there is a difference. Content.
Content, to me, means actively seeking to do what is best at the moment, day, or week, and then, despite apparent imperfections or imperfections or despite seeming insignificance, being okay with ourselves and what we are doing. Content means following the Spirit, joyfully, peacefully, and full of trust, knowing God knows the end from the beginning.
Content with 10 kids.
Content with myself even if I don't speak even passing-fair Hungarian.
Content to sit and snuggle with little ones.
Content read a few pages, when chapters are beckoning, but so are the kids and house :).
Content with a day where the homeschool classes are all half-finished, we are not prepared like I would like to be for our sweet Hungarian tutor, Papaya shatters glass on the floor five minutes after spilling corn meal all down the hall, the house is in shambles, dinner needs to be made,... but the most important thing right that moment is to talk to my wonderful mother. I know that, but to be content with doing only what I can, sometimes can be so challenging. Doesn't that seem silly? I mean, "content with doing only what I can" means it is just not physically possible to do more, and yet I let Satan tell me that I should be doing more? Crazy.
I seek to be content to know that when I feel peace in my heart, (despite a house full of noise, confusion and mess) the Lord is happy with me, and He is with me.
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