Chaplain Chat

Today, I want to share something that a mentor of mine shared with me recently. He spoke to me about the essence and the expression of a person. He spoke of who we are and how we express who we are as two different things. We can love someone for who they are and yet dislike the choices they may be making. This is true, in particular, for us as parents. I deeply love my children and want the best for them but sometimes they choose to express themselves in a way that doesn't line up with my values or makes me feel uncomfortable. For example by yelling at me or storming off (expressing their anger or frustration). By dressing inappropriately (expressing their style/fashion or lack thereof) and I decided to ask them to change.

If I am always correcting my children and telling them off, and if the only conversations I have with them are about how they can improve, what they can do differently, or "you could have done better" then I am forgetting to do the most important thing. Love them. Whatever decisions my children make, more than anything, I want to show them that I love them. I want them to know they are loved.

Do I get too caught up in their behaviour? Have I made time to sit and listen? How much time do I actually invest in my relationship with my kids? Do they know how much I love them? How am I showing them I love them?

Lord, I pray and I ask that you would help me to love my kids better. I pray that they would know how much I love them. Thank you for placing them in my life. Thank you for my three beautiful girls.