A Reminder to Love

Hi new Wild + Precious friends, Alissa here from over at Rags to Stitches.

I shared this post over at Wild and Precious recently, but with school quickly approaching I wanted to share it again with you all.

I took a trip to the mall recently and noticed how many people were wearing leggings + how it made me realize that leggings really aren’t pants. They work better under dresses, skirts + tunics. But then I didn’t want to offend anyone. I mean, you agree right, leggings aren’t pants.

I was completely lost in thought when my daughter entered the bathroom while I was putting my make up on this morning. She was completely upset because her brother wanted her to share her new puzzles with him. Through her tears she explained to me that she was feeling sad and that she didn’t want her brother as her friend and she didn’t want to share. I gently explained to her that her brother looks up to her, he loves her very much and wants to be big and smart just like her. Still not budging she informed me she missed school and her friends there that weren’t her brother.

In that moment, I felt the urge inside of me to get upset with her and lecture her on how she should never say things like that. I could even hear the voices in my head escalating even thought from the outside I attempted to appear calm and keep applying my eyeshadow.

I listened to her go on a little longer.

I wanted to let her get her feelings out so that when I did speak my words would be heard. She finally stopped and looked up at me.

With a deep breath I shared with her how words said in anger and frustration can be so hurtful and ugly and how when they are said out loud to someone they could really break a friendship. I went on to remind her that her brother is her best friend and loves her very much. As parents we understand how somedays it’s hard to be the bigger sister, but that teacher her brother how to finish the puzzle with her would make Jesus so happy.

I listened intently has she walked back down the hallway towards the family room where her brother sat trying to finish the puzzle they had started. He looked up at her, smiled at her and proudly showed her the pieces he had put together while she was talking to me. I held my breath once again, waiting to hear her response. Such a big decision for a little girl to decide if she was going to continue to be upset with her brother or choose to please Jesus.

“Wow Brayden, you did such a great job!”

“Thank you Sissy!”

In that moment she made the choice to please Jesus and it hit me…. how often do we decide to hold bitterness in our hearts instead of choosing to please Jesus with our choices? How often do we let hateful words hang in the air, lingering and creating darkness that separates us from our friends or loved ones? I keep thinking that if my four and a half year old, who just got all those brand new puzzles for Christmas, could let go of her frustration and choose to play with her brother, then we have so much more to learn from our little ones.

Do you have things your holding on to that wouldn’t please Jesus? As we begin a new school year, now is the perfect time to let go of those things, to wipe the ugliness from our hearts and let Jesus renew it and fill that space.

I’m praying that we’ll take the time to search our hearts and find a place for our Savior. That we will focus not on the ugly, but what is pleasing to Him, who is filled with mercy and grace.