Little Victories

I am on day 28 of Lent (which is 40 days total). It's been really, really great. I'll write more about it specifically later.

But, for years now my little family and I have been working on something. Specifically a little thing called temper...or 'temperature' as the kids call it. While I don't yell at them or hit them or anything like that, even the slightest bit of unkindness I do not want to spread. And unkindness I tend to show when things don't go according to planned, even if it's just a little huff or puff, and not the blowing down of the house. I come from a long line of 'temperature'-losers. And in the name of Jesus, we goan break this!! (that's Southern for 'we are going to break this'). ;)

So, I have always been very honest about this with my kids and they know that they can/need to call me out on it. I need their help to break this bad habit and not pass this on to them. They recognize it as wrong and bad, so hopefully it will stop with me and not pass on to them. But, I plan to be free from it too! ;)

Anyway, today Hadley spilled her cereal at breakfast. I was busy as mothers usually are around breakfast time. But, instead of doing a disappointed, huffy sigh or saying, "Hadley..." with a frown on my face, I just grabbed some paper towels and set to work cleaning it up.

Grady's comment made me chuckle. "See?.....you're trying to keep your temperature. And you're doing a good job." Haha...it was so funny, but also so very praiseworthy. God is growing me and I am changing. Praise. The. Lord!! Seriously.

Now, I'm quite sure that I will still need to apologize to them in the future about something. Thank God I learned how to humble myself and apologize. It's come in handy with them. But, I love that they are rooting me on and helping me, holding me accountable. And I love that they are encouraged by the changes that God has made in me. We're all in this together after all. The future of all of us will be affected by our (my in this case) willingness to grow and change. It's so much easier for children to just walk in the footsteps of their parents instead of trying to find another path. The kids are helping me to provide that for them. That is definitely our goal.

Loved today's little stepping stone toward that. Temperature, be gone!! :)