The How

“SORRY”

“No, say it nicely- not in an angry voice.”

“I’m sorry.”

This scene has played out in my home more than once lately as we are trying to teach my 3 1/2 year old how to make things right- the right way.  You see, it’s not just what you say that matters, how you say it matters as well.

In our Good Morning Girls 3 years through the Bible reading this week we are working our way through Genesis, specifically looking at Noah this week.  The one verse that spoke loudest to me this week was Genesis 6:22- “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.”

Not only did Noah do everything that God asked him to do, he did it exactly as God told him to.  Now the Bible outright tells us other details of Noah’s character in Genesis 6:9 (he’s righteous, blameless, and faithful to God), but I feel like from verse 22 we get to see his character in action.  He’s obedient to God, truly obedient.

We are working with our son on learning to apologize when he has wronged someone (usually his brother) and to teach him to make things right, but like any other child he has to learn that it’s not enough to say I’m sorry, you have to mean it and show the other person that you mean it in your tone and subsequent actions.  By we are trying to teach him is the importance of what we call true obedience- not just doing what we say, but also doing it how we say to do it, the right way.

And you know, as a mama, this challenges me too.  Am I giving him a good example in this?  An I doing the things that God calls me to do in the way in which He calls me to do them?

Am I giving cheerfully?  And I’m not talking primarily about money.  We tithe and give to charity but I feel like the most difficult giving I do is giving of myself to other people, serving them.  My kids are little and so at their ages I’m constantly serving them.  Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids, but at 1 and 3 they do rely on me to take care of them.  And as their mom, I love to take care of them, but sometimes a long, difficult day can take the joy our of that service.  By the end of such days I take care of my kids for sure, but am I doing it cheerfully?

Now, I’m not saying moms should never feel tired of serving their kids- we are all going to get tired of doing things like changing diapers and picking up toys for the millionth time.  But what I am saying is this- God has called me to be a mama to these two little guys and I want to do what he’s called me to do in the most loving and cheerful way possible.  So I’m challenging myself, to try to act out that true obedience in my life and do it that way- just as God commands me.

I’m reading through the Bible in 3 years with Good Morning Girls. We’re reading one chapter a day and you can find the schedule for this month over at Women Living Well, where I’m linking up with other bloggers to share what God is teaching us through this study.

Cat

Cat is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom of two boys.  She shares crafts, DIY projects, kids’ activities, and a little bit about life in Ohio.  Learn more about her and the blog on the About page.