Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve and I've just laid my kids down for a nap. I'm praying they will take a good one this afternoon. We will be up late tonight having Christmas with my family, then tomorrow we will be with Jim's family who came into town.
I woke up this morning excited about all the festivities that were set before us. However, the girl , my one and only beautiful daughter (I'm trying to speak kind words as I complain and vent), decided that she wanted to be a grump and be rude and disrespectful to her mother and her brother. She received several spankings, a good yelling and talking to from her loving mother, and some time in her room. Several different segments of time in her room actually. I don't know what her deal was. Then I pulled her hair up in a ponytail, which is a battle in and of itself, and a good reason she thinks for a throwing a fit -- even if there are so other emotions running through her. This morning though after fixing her hair while she cried (not whined, CRIED) the whole time I was pulling it up, I sent her to her room, once again. As I told her to stay in her room until she could settle down and as I closed the door, she let out a blood-curdling scream that I have never heard come out from her little body. I opened the door, spanked her bottom, set her in a chair, told her that was totally uncalled-for and told her that I was going to blow-dry my hair and I would come get her when I was finished; she must stay in there until I was finished. I was very angry by this time. Blow-drying my hair gave me some time to cool down, so afterwards I rocked her and told her how much I love her and how much I want to have a good Christmas with her and with everyone else. She must choose her attitude and she must choose happiness and peace.
We all must choose that. So often I wake up just grumpy and the Lord whispers my choices to me. And so often, I choose to be grumpy and it makes for a terrible day. But when I do choose happiness and peace, it makes for a good day. Maybe not a great day, but better than a terrible day.
So this Christmas, I am remembering that Christ is our peace. Even amongst all of the exectations I put upon myself and the stress that comes at this time of year, I choose peace. And I pray that the girl will choose peace. And I pray that you, too, will choose peace and happiness.
May your days be merry and bright! Merry Christmas! Love to all!
4 comments:
Okay it was something in the air because both of my girls had a doozey of a day on Christmas Eve. That's always fun when you're around family! Hope the rest of your holidays have been great!
It is so hard for little ones to learn self-control, but so important. can you imagine if we screamed every time we were unhappy? The world would be a much louder place.
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