Twice now she said, “You never listen to me.”
Never?
Never is big and I’m pretty sure “never” is not accurate, but to her, it is.
To her, it’s never.
My insides hurt and I want to say, “Yes I do!” I want to defend myself. But what is the good in that? So I tell her I will listen. And I tell her I try and always listen and be fair and really hear what she’s saying, but sometimes I don’t do it right. I ask her to come to me. “You feel offended, and that I’m treating you unfairly?” “Yes, and I’m sad and angry and I don’t know why.” “Okay, let’s talk about that.”
She talks, I hear and take in, and I try to unravel the web of bitterness in a little ones heart. Strand by strand I gently pull until we get a little closer to the knot being undone. I can see the knot, but I know that I can’t get it out, it’s too tight. I ask her if we can pray. She says yes. We go to the only One who can untangle our mess, all the mess that is of hurt, self-righteousness, anger, and un-forgiveness.
Amen.
Excellent article today by Sarah Mae. Read the rest of the story here -----but......
Unraveling the knots in our children's hearts takes time, patience, focus and a humble heart. It takes the heart of Jesus in a mama who will live out His reality in the moment. Will you take the time or allow the knots to get more and more tangled until a web of anger is built? The gift of a peaceful heart without guilt is a rare and generous gift a mother can give to her children.