Love.

"I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth...But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing another commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. " 2 John 4 NSRV

Wow. So, I read a lot of blogs. I love keeping up on them, especially the ones about family and mothering. But its rare to see a mom post about the times when she's going crazy, ready to call it quits (whatever that looks like when you run the house). Well, I've had that kind of a week. I've broken down a lot this week in tears or anger. The kids are challenging and demanding. I'm feeling at a loss for how to discipline them or mold their little personalities into something beautiful. I've prayed and prayed that God would show me how to handle these challenges and how to handle my children.

Last night I cried out that God would reveal to me how to respond to Ava and Jillian, how to fix this mess. I opened my calendar today and saw this verse and I knew that God had been faithful once again in answering me. Of course this was not what I was expecting and immediately I felt that this was God correcting me, not encouraging me! See, the kiddos love God. I spend a lot of time talking about God, singing praises, praying, reading and I often pride myself on being an example to them in these things. What I felt God tell me I was missing was Love. I'm not loving them enough. Not encouraging them enough. My days are spent yelling and correcting far more than loving and offering grace. Wow. Let us love one another. How simple but how difficult. Loving my girls when they are completely unlovable is challenging but its what I know God is asking me to do. Thank you, Lord for reminding me what matters most. Thank you for your faithfulness in answering my prayer.

Now, I'm off to love.