The Mother Hen

Serving My Kids

Just when I thought the Holy Spirit had decided to give me a little break (after all the retreat stuff) He came a knocking again last Thursday and last night.

Bestie Kara gave an amazing message at Hearts last Thursday about being a light to our children. I was soooooo good and maybe if you ask nicely she will write her thoughts on her hubby's family blog and you can go there and soak it all up and the Holy Spirit can pester you for a while.

So taking what Kara said about being a light to my kids and then coupling it with the verse I've been meditating on from PYKM yesterday ("Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord") I've been feeling convicted about how I serve my kids.

Let's just say I am getting impatient with them while putting them in their carseats (that never happens, by the way). They are fighting straps, reaching for water, binkies and sunglasses and we are already running late (again, all hypothetical...this has never really happened). And let's just say I bark, "You guys, get in your seats right now or I'm going to spank your bottoms" (I would never say that; this is just an example).

No let us back this up and as I put my kids in the car I treat them and talk to them as if they were Jesus. I don't see me losing my patience and barking at Jesus. What if when I was making the 3 thousandth peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch instead of wishing I were on a warm beach somewhere I made that sandwich with a cheerful heart and a song on my lips remembering that I was making the sandwich for my Savior (um, does Jesus eat PB & J?)? How would my kids treat their family, friends, spouses, kids if they grew up being loved and served as if they were God?

Please don't misunderstand me here...I know plenty of kids, and adults, who have ego-centric-center-of-the-universe complexes. That is EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a humble service-love that puts others before myself and models that same service for my kids so they do it for others. We've seen that kind of humility before...anyone wanna take a stab at Who I am talking about?

Now I go in to this with realistic expectations. I'm not perfect and my kids know how to push my buttons. Oh how they know how to push my buttons...but I'm excited for this new challenge of serving my kids; they deserve it. They are children of the King.