Uncommon kindness ....
I had to remind my youngest child Chloe last night, how to approach the injustices of this life with kindness instead of anger. I got a heads up from her teacher earlier in the day that Chloe and another classmate had a conflict which resulted in some unkind words being exchanged. It’s a chip at a Mama’s heart when you are informed your child has spoken hurtful words toward someone else. The behavior was managed appropriately by their teachers, and upon arriving home last night, I had some time to talk with Chloe about the situation. The focus of our conversation was the uncommon response of kindness rather than responding in anger. For Chloe, it was a moment of what she could only see as an injustice done to her. So naturally, her human and emotional response was to retaliate with angry words. As I am typing those words, I have a vision in my mind of a crowd of people, their fists raised while holding up signs with bright bold phrases, shouting and chanting, emotions high, determined to right something that has gone so wrong. In her 8 year old mind, this minor altercation with a friend in the line for a drink at the water fountain, was a terrible injustice and she was not going to just let it go. My sweet Chloe is still learning much about what it is to deal with the injustices of this life in a way that sets us apart from the masses. I encouraged her to consider how she thought Jesus would respond in the same situation. I reminded her about moments in his life on this earth when he did get angry about something, but more often he chose to speak with kindness and sometimes did not speak at all and simply removed himself from the situation. I helped her to consider carefully the impact of anger, and the preferable response of peace. I can think of a few situations in my life when I responded far too quickly with emotion and anger. I can also think of a few more situations in which I chose to stop my human response, and step away to gain a healthier, big picture perspective, prayerfully ask my God for guidance in how best to respond.
Since I was a little girl, I have taken to journaling my thoughts and my prayers, found this practice to be helpful in freeing up my mind so that I could focus and rest. When we don’t take time to empty our minds daily of our cares, our fears, our struggles, then we cannot function as fully as I believe God intends for us to. I know my children have all witnessed my evolving through this process many times. I don’t want to keep that from them, because I think it is a powerful lesson for them as they grow and mature, to see that their parents are as human and capable of failing as they are. None of us are immune to it, and we all can benefit greatly from this process that God allows to unfold. It is not an act of cruelty, but in fact God’s way of teaching us to trust Him more with what He intended for us from the beginning. I did not make excuses for Chloe when I responded to her teacher’s email, but instead I thanked her for her wise response to the situation and assured her we would do our part as parents to reinforce what is the best and appropriate response to a difficult situation. I think we often miss the opportunity we have at any given moment, to respond in a way that sets us apart from the masses. It’s a moment in time when we can bring to life the hope we have in Christ for everyone around us. I know how that thing that just happened made me feel, but instead of lashing out immediately, I am going to draw from Christ in me and respond in a way that says to the world, “I am confident in the goodness of my God!”
Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13 NLT)
What is your response going to be today when you find yourself in a difficult situation? This is your opportunity to respond as one who is set apart.
