Tip Thursday
Learn from the tears and hard moments
I find it very helpful when I key into a reason behind one of the consistent causes of my failures or struggles. It seems like a light bulb moment helps give me victory because I can see the pitfall before falling headfirst into it and choose to avoid the fall. Wouldn't it be great to be able to give our children help with some of their similar light bulb moments?
I found that when my children were very small and their little personalities were an open book, that I could see their struggles as clearly as glass, so that later i could help them understand themselves a little better.
One child would become very overwhelmed when looking at the number of problems on a math speed test and freeze up even though she was excellent at math facts. This problem of looking at the whole and seeing too much was a consistent struggle for her. This could have become a huge mountain for her but instead she learned to know herself and when the feeling of "too much" hit her, she would break the situation into many little steps and thus became an excellent problem solver.
Many times, the struggles we face with our personality or character build are the strengths that God loves to build into our lives and are the best used aspects when controlled by the Holy Spirit. Observe the tears and their causes, observe the moments of joy sources, help your child to understand themselves through your eyes. One daughter with many eye troubles, has the best eye for art and drawing. Another child who appeared to be bossy as a small child, became quite the leader in high school. Another child who sang everywhere she went, has become a beautiful singer.
Use these days of childhood to know your child so that you can point out these strengths and even weaknesses to help your child find the path God has created for your child to travel and through which to bless this world. It's such a sweet blessing that God grants us to occasionally have a tiny part in His great work of growing our children into the men and women of God that He has created them to be.
(Leave me a comment in a reply below. I love hearing from you!)