At The Moment
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Ephesians 4:2
Insight
Sometimes as a parent, I feel like there are certain things that I constantly repeat to my kids. One of those is some version of, "Be kind to your brother/sister." Another is, "Can you please be patient?" And now that our youngest has gotten to the age where she can get involved with the other two, I have added, "Be gentle, she's still learning!" to the mix. Maybe it is because they are young, or perhaps because it's something that they naturally don't think to do. Either way, it feels like they constantly need to be reminded.
As our family got home from Charlotte this past weekend, a moment of frustration humbled me. So let me paint the scene for you.
We left Sunday morning and drove to Charlotte to visit the grandparents. Our kids are all under the age of 4, and we had a busy two days with fewer naps, lots of visitors, and lots of playing hard. We loaded back into the car Monday afternoon to return. Sure, we were there less than 30 hours, but somehow it felt like we packed a week's worth of fun into that time. About an hour from home, the kid's frustration reached a new level though; they were beyond ready to get out of the car. One was constantly yelling about either being hungry or her bottom falling off from sitting in the seat too long.
Our son is allergic to dogs, and we had spent the last two weekends in homes with dogs, so he was barely keeping it together between his runny nose and itchy skin. Our youngest, who is just over one, was crying while the others yelled at her for being too loud. Needless to say, my husband and I were going back and forth between being frustrated and laughing at the ridiculousness of the scene. We were all tired, and no matter how much we redirected, distracted, or even threatened, the reality was that no one cared about anything except getting out of the car.
As we got home, the cries continued, they didn't want to go to bed, didn't like the snack we offered, didn't want their medicine, etc. Finally, after 10-20 minutes of what felt like a constant battle, my son couldn't hold it together any longer. His screaming reached a new level, and he came and sat in my lap, buried his head, and sobbed.
At that moment, I thought about the weekend from his perspective. He had SO much fun, but the events wore out his little body. He was feeling all the emotions and just needed comfort. At that moment, I felt the statements that I am constantly saying to our kids apply to me. "Katie, be kind and patient. Be gentle; they are little and still learning." At that moment, I knew they just needed grace.
But here's the thing, how often do we let our emotions and frustrations with others cause us to dismiss that grace. Sure, it is easy to look at a 2-year-old and feel for them or want to help them through their struggles. But what about when it is the 17-year-old that cut you off in traffic or the 40-year-old boss that doesn't ever seem to see things your way? What about the spouse that doesn't seem to notice all that you've done for your family or the neighbor that is constantly disrupting you? How often do we withhold grace from them because we feel they aren't deserving of it?
Ephesians 4:2 tells us to "Be completely humble and gentle, bearing with one another in love." To do this, we HAVE to extend grace. We have to try and see things from other people's vantage points, and we have to be kind and patient with them. My one-year-old isn't the only individual I need to be gentle with; I need to be gentle with others because the truth is, we are ALL still learning.
Reflection
Who do you need to. extend grace toward? Why does this person come to mind?
Prayer
God, thank you for being patient and gentle with me. Thanks for bearing with me in love and pursuing me even when I constantly fall short. God, I pray that You would help me to see others the way that You see them. I pray that I would extend grace and be patient even when it is hard. I pray for eyes to see others through humility and love and opportunities to bear with others even when challenging. Amen.
Katie Robinson, Children's Ministry Home Coordinator, wrote today's devotional.
