Wednesday, September 30, 2009

It Always Starts out Small

Today has been a bad day for me and my kids. They've been misbehaving, and I've yelled at them a lot.

Yes, sweet little me yells at my children. Often.

I know, I know. It's absolutely wrong. If you had somehow shown me a video a few years ago of present-day me yelling at my children, I would have been shocked. I couldn't have imagined being angry or annoyed enough to raise my voice to my children! My dear, innocent, precious children!

Ah, but it starts out so slowly. First you barely raise your voice. "I said to get down, Caleb." Then a few months later, it's "I said get down, Caleb." Before you know it, it's "GET DOWN! NOW!"

It's just like any other sin. It starts out small enough. No one will notice if I don't go to church today.... It was just one little lie.... Who cares if I watch that raunchy TV show?

Before you know it, you never go to church, or lies have become your truth, or your mind if full of so much junk you are desensitized from it all.

It always starts out small. Let's pray that we can stop these sins before they grow. Because as we all know, it's much harder to stop something once it's big and hairy.

3 comments:

Bev said...

I've learned what you should do in these situations - taught to me by John Taylor, our little 3-year-old grandson. The other day he was in the backseat by himself, just looking out the window as he rode along and his parents heard him say, "Dear God. Help me be a good boy. Tomorrow. AMEN!"

Homeschooling6 said...

I hear ya, sister. I always thought I was a pretty patient, meek and quiet person. Um, then I had children and I realized I have a long way to go.
I use to yell a lot too those first years. It still slips once in a while (blushing) but I have come a long way.
Keep praying about it, ask God to show you areas in motherhood that need to change. Believe me he will show you the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm still learning. There are so many times when I have to ask the children to forgive me.
Children teach us a lot about ourselves.
Blessings,
Linda<><
www.homeschooling6.com

Robin said...

Yelling is something I deal with DAILY. I hate it. I am also trying to get better at it and to find other area's that need change.