More Than Our Bad Days

It has been a rough week for the chaos crew.  Camaraderie, flexibility, diligence, teamwork...these are not words I would use to describe us this week.  Everyone seems to be surly and stubborn.  I was sure that as we welcomed the bright sun and extended outdoor play that the crabby, fidgety, whiney behavior would subside.  Not so.  Frown.  :(  Instead the desire to go outside and suck in nature has been replaced with the desire to never come back inside!  This new desire makes accomplishing the tasks of the day a bit of a challenge!  I am thrilled that my children love to be outdoors, but I didn't anticipate the strain it would put on our school day. 

In addition, the attitudes being displayed toward one another are down right terrible.  It is defeating for mama.  I have spent a great deal of time this year working on character.  So much has been accomplished, I am proud of my children and who they are.  But when things are bad, when attitudes are poor and moral is low, I take it personally.  Their behavior is a reflection of my performance....isn't it?

Matt always calls at lunchtime.  Today he may wish he hadn't.  The first sound he heard was the wailing cry of Thomas in the background who had been unhappy for 90% of his awake existence that day.  Tyler and Alli were picking at each other (in lieu of doing their schoolwork), Merik (daycare child) was insisting we not have green beans with lunch while Anna begged for chocolate milk, and lunch was fifteen minutes behind.  My van was in the shop and the cell phone guy was minutes away from arriving to my disaster zone house to switch my phone out for me.  (add that to the definition of chaos Mr. Webster)  As I relayed the turmoil my lovely man had the foresight to remind me, "Sarah, they are just kids, they are going to have bad days, just chill out and remember how great they are when they are behaving!"

"hmmm"

They are great kids.   I have bad days, display behavior I am not proud of (more than I care to admit) and the truth is, those days don't define me.  So back to my song obsession, I love the lyrics to You Are More by Tenth Avenue North
You are more than the choices that you make
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes
You are more than the problems you create
You've been remade
(That's from memory) so don't hold me to the words, but take a listen here: http://www.klove.com/music/artists/tenth-avenue-north/songs/you-are-more-lyrics.aspx

My dear, dear friend is raising a brood of boys.  She uses the analogy of a tree with their families parenting.  Often saying that she is raising good strong trees, with deep roots and strong branches.  I love this, the roots are what we plant at home, the deeper we dig, the more we water, the stronger the tree will stand in the storms.  The branches are who they are...the paths they will take, the talents they will pursue, the people they will touch, again, with strong roots these branches may bend and sway in the wind, but they will not break, they will remain strong.  They will produce much fruit, for His names sake. 

A favorite saying of mine



So on windy days, when we are bent and swayed to do the wrong thing, to make the wrong choice, I am reminded of the tree analogy.  And of my husband's wisdom.  They are just kids, they are still growing.  And although I may wish to take one of those little branches and pull it back and let it swing back to strike a little hinney, haha, joking.  They are not defined by the bad days, but by what is being planted and watered and grown in their souls.

We will muscle through the last month of school, enjoying the outside as an incentive.  Using bad behavior as an example of what not to do, and praying, praying, praying for sanity and patience!  (for us all)  All the while, thanking God for his grace, patience, and forgiveness in my own life.  Never forsaking me, despite all my baggage, all my mistakes, all my bad choices.  What a perfect love.

So go water some trees :)  and enjoy watching them grow. 

The photo is borrowed from my friend's blog (without permission) heehee.  Please take a look at her wonderful tales of mothering five amazing boys on her blog My Five Sons.  http://www.shawnellewrites.blogspot.com/