For Me, Too - February, 2015

We choose to be joyful,

even when we feel like complaining.

Have you ever planned a lesson in Bible specially for your child's benefit, then in the middle of it displayed that you need the same lesson, too?

I picked seven "Family Ways" to work on this school year (from Our 25 Family Ways by Clay Clarkson). We were just starting the lesson on joy. The verses for the week were Philippians 4:4-7. Kim had just started reading them aloud when the timer buzzed signaling it was time to get a drink.

We stopped and went in the kitchen for our drinks. Kim reached across me to pick up her glass, but instead, knocked it over. I quickly said, "Get a towel." She stood there and looked at me. "Kim, get a towel!" She continued to stand and stare. Richard handed me a towel and I proceeded to verbally pour out my irritation on Kim while I moved appliances and sopped up the mess. "Spills happen, but you need to quickly clean them up before they make a bigger mess. Why didn't you grab a towel? You know where the towels are! I'm not mad that you spilled, but why did you just stand there?!?"

Back to our Bible lesson, Kim started reading, "Be full of joy always because you belong to the Lord. Again I say be full of joy! Let all people see how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. . . "

Always be full of joy; and the realization of what I just did started settling in. Let all people see how gentle you are; and I knew I had just blown it.

"I wasn't gentle . . . I'm sorry . . ."

How much joy do you have? Are you full of joy, or is there room in your cup for more? How gentle are you? Would your husband and children characterize you as gentle? Through prayer and giving thanks, we can have the peace of God, which will give us joy. Let's pray for joy and gentleness this month.