There's something about an online presence that makes one look stellar! Of course it makes one look that way because the things that are shared are the ones that glorify the person, that make her look fabulous! Most of us don't share our biggest mess-ups. Until now.
I hear from a lot of friends (both face-to-face friends and online friends) that I'm so amazing and they just don't know how I do it all. Ha! If only you could see me daily!
This past weekend I was sick with a severe cold/sinus congestion/my chest and throat are on fire syndrome. Today, though I feel loads better, I sound TERRIBLE! And, of course, today I was conducting English interviews over Skype with international, English-is-my-second-(or-third-or-fourth)-language students. Imagine it: You're a student wanting a job in the US, but you have to pass this English interview first. It's a struggle already, but then your interviewer has this awful squeak in her voice. These poor students! Fortunately, they all passed:)
I had carefully laid out what Isaac could work on while I was doing the interviews. Aaron and Abigail had a plan, too. Everything went swimmingly well!
Until I finished and called Isaac in to check his work. Y'all, it was bad! Not his work...my response. Mind you, he hadn't done the right thing, hadn't followed directions; he definitely needed a talking to. But I lost it. A big, ugly, yelling lost it. I'm thankful I didn't say anything awful, but it was still bad! Isaac left the room crying, and I sat there thinking why in the world had I responded that way. I waited a few minutes. I went to Isaac and tearfully apologized. We both cried and named precisely what we were sorry for. I then took the time to build him up. And then I prayed and asked God to forgive me and to help me respond much better the next time. I asked Him to work on my heart issue, the part that was far deeper than what manifested itself with Isaac.
This parenting business is messy! And when I don't guard myself, it gets ugly. I am so far from perfect...so far from having it all together. But even when I lose it, I can find a way to make it a teachable moment for all of us. I had an opportunity to tell my son that this is a sin issue that I need to deal with; I have to allow God to transform me. I don't like for my kids to see me mess up, but those opportunities do allow me to show them that we all are in need of a Savior, that not one of us is perfect, that we can go to God for forgiveness and change, and that we can allow Him to continue to work in and through us.
Today I got to take an ugly, ugly moment and live out Matthew 5:24 in front of my kids. I went to them to ask forgiveness and then asked God's forgiveness. They got to see Ephesians 4:27, 29 in action when I talked to them about how we have to recognize sin and not allow Satan a resting place in our hearts and how we have to use our words to speak life into one another. They also got to see me identify an area that needs work, as it says in James 1:19-20; I must be quick to listen and slow to speak; my anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.
Today was messy. It had an ugly moment. God still used it to cultivate His character in all of us.
I hear from a lot of friends (both face-to-face friends and online friends) that I'm so amazing and they just don't know how I do it all. Ha! If only you could see me daily!
This past weekend I was sick with a severe cold/sinus congestion/my chest and throat are on fire syndrome. Today, though I feel loads better, I sound TERRIBLE! And, of course, today I was conducting English interviews over Skype with international, English-is-my-second-(or-third-or-fourth)-language students. Imagine it: You're a student wanting a job in the US, but you have to pass this English interview first. It's a struggle already, but then your interviewer has this awful squeak in her voice. These poor students! Fortunately, they all passed:)
I had carefully laid out what Isaac could work on while I was doing the interviews. Aaron and Abigail had a plan, too. Everything went swimmingly well!
Until I finished and called Isaac in to check his work. Y'all, it was bad! Not his work...my response. Mind you, he hadn't done the right thing, hadn't followed directions; he definitely needed a talking to. But I lost it. A big, ugly, yelling lost it. I'm thankful I didn't say anything awful, but it was still bad! Isaac left the room crying, and I sat there thinking why in the world had I responded that way. I waited a few minutes. I went to Isaac and tearfully apologized. We both cried and named precisely what we were sorry for. I then took the time to build him up. And then I prayed and asked God to forgive me and to help me respond much better the next time. I asked Him to work on my heart issue, the part that was far deeper than what manifested itself with Isaac.
This parenting business is messy! And when I don't guard myself, it gets ugly. I am so far from perfect...so far from having it all together. But even when I lose it, I can find a way to make it a teachable moment for all of us. I had an opportunity to tell my son that this is a sin issue that I need to deal with; I have to allow God to transform me. I don't like for my kids to see me mess up, but those opportunities do allow me to show them that we all are in need of a Savior, that not one of us is perfect, that we can go to God for forgiveness and change, and that we can allow Him to continue to work in and through us.
Today I got to take an ugly, ugly moment and live out Matthew 5:24 in front of my kids. I went to them to ask forgiveness and then asked God's forgiveness. They got to see Ephesians 4:27, 29 in action when I talked to them about how we have to recognize sin and not allow Satan a resting place in our hearts and how we have to use our words to speak life into one another. They also got to see me identify an area that needs work, as it says in James 1:19-20; I must be quick to listen and slow to speak; my anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires.
Today was messy. It had an ugly moment. God still used it to cultivate His character in all of us.