The anchor for the soul…and the answer

The number one question I have had as a mom is, how do I get my child to mind me and listen? Example: If we are sitting in church and she is fussing and whining, how can I get her to sit quietly until the music is over? Answer? I can’t. She has to make that choice. Sure, I can hold her down and let her squirm and scream, but what does that get us? More squirming and more screaming. (for Tatum, me, and the rest of the surrounding world)

“Because I said so,” are those four letters which get overused by parental units, and I don’t want to go there every time I’m stuck for why she must ______. It may sound crazy, but Jesus should be the reason. Not to get all preachy and bibley, but the love I have for Jesus makes me mind my P’s and Q’s. It also is the reason I do what I do every day. From our thoughts and our beliefs flow our actions. If my belief is that Jesus sacrificed and died for me and loves me enough to take on all of my follies, foibles, and falls, then my love for him knows no bounds. Why would I want to live a life that is displeasing to him? Why would I want to be selfish, or prideful, or rude, or impatient? He put others ahead of Himself and loved others with compassion and mercy. In fact, HOPE in Jesus is “the anchor for the soul,” as Pastor Terry preached.

Therefore, this is what I tell Tatum when I pull her out of the service or the place where she is not being so lovely: “You know, honey, Jesus loves you so very much. We need to show him respect AND the people around us respect by being polite and quiet. The ________ (teacher, pastor…) is speaking, and our focus should be on him. Your time to play will come after it is over.”

If this can be something that sinks in for her, she will have internal motivation to do what is right in the right setting (even when I am not with her). I never want her to do what is right because I said so or because she is afraid she will get in trouble (although this is very effective). Obviously if she is running into traffic, I’m not going to stop and tell her this bit of advice; I’ll definitely enforce the “because I said so” until she understands what is dangerous for her own safety sake.

She soon will learn that Jesus will carry her burdens and lighten her load. All in time…all in time with much prayer and of course with my beliefs modeled to her. (I cannot force it and don’t want to)

IMG_5338 IMG_5332Hope. Hope in Him…The anchor for our souls.