There is this thing I try every so often with my kids. When I can see that they are on the verge of fighting with each other, or when they are in the middle of fighting, I call one of them to come to me. Rather than give them something to stop, I want to give them something to do. I want them to come to me. I want to give them a hug, talk it over, cuddle. I want to have a moment together that diffuses the conflict going on around them.
It usually doesn’t work. They are too engaged in their anger, invested in winning this meaningless fight, to want to come and be with me for a moment. Which saddens me. I then have to discipline where I would rather comfort and guide.
Sometimes it also puts me in mind of all of those passages in the Old Testament where God is saying, over and over, “Come back to me. Didn’t I raise you? Didn’t I nurse you? Didn’t I stay by your side and walk you through the wilderness? Didn’t I save you time and time again? Yet you persist in this selfish, foolish behavior. You don’t take care of the poor, or each other, and you are running off after everything else that you think will make you happy. Even though it’s stupid. What am I going to do with you?”
Other times it makes me think of all the times it seems God is saying the same thing to me. When I am weary and worried and upset over things he says, “Come away. Come and spend a little time with me.”
But I don’t. I stay where I am. Worrying about the dirty floors and the ways that I am failing.
Slowly I’m learning, one day at a time, to let it all go, to walk away and spend a little time in the loving arms of my father. To be restored.
Maybe someday my children will learn the same.
8 thoughts on “Come Away”
How true! What a great reminder. Thanks for sharing this, I needed it.
Oh the beauty of truth! This is a gem of post, pouring out rivers of life all over the reader:)
This is funny, I've to enforcing this move lately. When they are fighting, one gets to come help or hang out with me for awhile. There's always such gnashing of teeth at first, but then they settle in. But I need to get over the disincentive I have — I'm working on something and I have to stop or slow down in order to accommodate the "help" of a kid who at first really, really doesn't want to be there. It's a hurdle for me. Not sure that ties into your metaphor at all, of course. . .
"Come Away with Me!"
I can hear Him speaking through these words. Wow. In the midst of little ones fighting and dishes and all those piles of things we have as mothers…to just hear Him say, "Come away with me!"
Let's go. Refreshing.
Thank you.
To come away. To dance. To sit in silence. To be utterly captivated by His presence. I am learning too friend.
A joy to meet you this evening as you venture towards Thailand. We started our journey there … our lives truly have been ruined for the ordinary.
A delight to be wrapped in His love with you today,
Sarah Dawn
Very sweet post – yes, how true.
Wow, that is a great technique to try with the kids. Sounds MUCH better than my current way to handle the fighting. *cringe* And then maybe I'll remember to respond that way myself?
Very sweet post – yes, how true.
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