A couple of days ago, I had a really really bad mummy morning. I was exhausted because Hubby was away with work and Sarah hasn't been sleeping at all well of late. I turned into nasty, yelling mummy when the children really hadn't done anything to deserve it. I totally over reacted and couldn't bring myself back from the shouting. Not pleasant at all.
I apologised to the children before preschool drop off, but felt awful in myself. I had been trying so hard to keep the yelling under control, and things had been good for a very long time. But God met me in my pit, and gave me encouragement after encouragement on my fitness as a mother and the job I am doing.
Firstly, a friend popped in that very same morning, unplanned and unannounced. I broke down telling her how awful I had been and she was so loving and encouraging. My soul felt restored after her visit. Then the next day, I read an article online that one of my very very good friends posted to Facebook, written by a Christian chap who said that you were not a bad parent if you yelled at your kids, but that in modelling repentance and asking forgiveness would redeem the situation. And then finally, I was listening to the radio on the way home from preschool yesterday lunchtime and the phone in was about stay at home mums. The mum they had on used to be a barrister, and now stays home to care for her two children. It was such an affirming interview, so encouraging, and I sat at the kitchen table trying not to cry in front of the kids. So three encouragements in the space of just over 24 hours. I was taken from my pit.
And not only were there the encouragements, but also the gentle correction. I read a further article which was talking about the fear that this father had that if he didn't yell at his kids, they would turn out delinquent, that if he was soft in his approach and tone to their sin, they would keep on sinning. It turned out that using a soft approach to discipline won his son around, there was no fear and the father had shepherded his son's heart far more effectively than if he had yelled. A lesson there for me.
So I am thankful that my Almighty God knows me, sees me and loves me enough to encourage me and correct me in my little life here in this little corner of the world.
I apologised to the children before preschool drop off, but felt awful in myself. I had been trying so hard to keep the yelling under control, and things had been good for a very long time. But God met me in my pit, and gave me encouragement after encouragement on my fitness as a mother and the job I am doing.
Firstly, a friend popped in that very same morning, unplanned and unannounced. I broke down telling her how awful I had been and she was so loving and encouraging. My soul felt restored after her visit. Then the next day, I read an article online that one of my very very good friends posted to Facebook, written by a Christian chap who said that you were not a bad parent if you yelled at your kids, but that in modelling repentance and asking forgiveness would redeem the situation. And then finally, I was listening to the radio on the way home from preschool yesterday lunchtime and the phone in was about stay at home mums. The mum they had on used to be a barrister, and now stays home to care for her two children. It was such an affirming interview, so encouraging, and I sat at the kitchen table trying not to cry in front of the kids. So three encouragements in the space of just over 24 hours. I was taken from my pit.
And not only were there the encouragements, but also the gentle correction. I read a further article which was talking about the fear that this father had that if he didn't yell at his kids, they would turn out delinquent, that if he was soft in his approach and tone to their sin, they would keep on sinning. It turned out that using a soft approach to discipline won his son around, there was no fear and the father had shepherded his son's heart far more effectively than if he had yelled. A lesson there for me.
So I am thankful that my Almighty God knows me, sees me and loves me enough to encourage me and correct me in my little life here in this little corner of the world.
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