Tag: Parents

Feelings

PHOTO CAPTION: Moms hold our hands for a little while, but they hold our hearts forever.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you moms out there. How are you feeling today? Is you family honoring you or do you feel alone and sad in your journey of motherhood? I hope you are having a wonderful day. I hope you are feeling wonderful, but let’s face it. Sometimes we don’t. We may feel sick or just sad, often for good reason, but then there are other times when our feelings just get the best of us.

Feelings can be fickle at best and yet God gave us feelings. Small children can often go from smiley faces to an outburst of tears in a matter of seconds! Even when feelings are fickle or self-serving, I am still thankful for the feelings that God gave us. Without feelings, we would be like robots, simply existing, performing our daily functions but without the joy, laughter or tears that join us together and help us to empathize with others. How could we identify with and build relationships with others if we didn’t have feelings?

Usually feelings do have some validity even when we have those out-of-sort days. The problem is that feelings can lead also lead us astray when we act or make decisions entirely based on how we are feeling at the moment. When we act or react based on our feelings alone, we make costly mistakes which not only affect us, but also those around us. How thankful I am that God guides us and helps us to make wise decisions and choices when we look to him instead of our feelings. He understands our feelings and He is the safest one to release all our heartfelt emotions to. Reading the Psalms, we often see how David
shared his raw emotions with God and God time and time again, spoke to David, helped David and saved David from his enemies.

One of the most damaging feelings we can have when it’s not channeled properly or dealt with in a healthy manner is anger and unforgiveness. Anger leads to bitterness, holding grudges, unforgiveness and often retaliation. So what can we do with anger and unforgiveness? I think it helps to acknowledge it. It is a real emotion and when someone or something hurts us, there is validity to our anger. As a follower of Jesus, I try to take everything to Him. When I’m hurt on angry, I do talk to God about it, yet in the heat of the moment I have been known to react before I talk to God. Often, it’s the ones I feel closest to, my family, that get the brunt of my reactions. I need God’s grace and mercy to help me to calm down, think clearly and look to Him for solutions rather than reacting.

Esau and Jacob were brothers, yet as siblings do, they had their disagreements, major disagreements. Jacob’s striving with Esau and striving to be first place along with Esau’s contempt for what he had as firstborn led to eventual deception, anger and broken relationship. Thankfully, years later, God restored that relationship. Jacob realized his striving was not God’s striving and Esau allowed time to heal the wounds. Esau forgave his brother. I wonder what would have happened if their reactions would have been different way back when? What if they both would have looked more to God, trusting Him to work out the details of their lives versus reacting to the feelings of the moment and trying to make things happen the way they envisioned? Would not God have still worked on Jacob’s behalf to make him the leader as God promised he would be? Would Esau have received the blessing and still worked together with Jacob? I guess we will never know this side of heaven. Still I’m thankful that God did work in their hearts and lives and forgiveness did happen even if it took years.

As for me and my fickle feelings – well I’m going to ask God to help me
daily look to Him remembering that He is in control. Knowing that, I can rest and trust that no matter what I feel like, I have someone who loves and cares for me everyday, in the weary days of motherhood and in the good days. That thought fills me with joy. That’s a very good feeling!

PARENT PRAYER:
Father God,
Thank you for giving us feelings so that we can have relationship with you and others. I pray that my feelings would help me empathize with others and truly share your love instead becoming stressed and angry. When I do feel negative emotions, I want to remember to take these feelings to you. When there is a problem that needs resolved, show me what I should do. Help me to attack the problem, when necessary, and not the person and Lord, help me also to be quick to forgive. Thank you for your love and forgiveness. You are amazing! Amen

HONORING MOMS
Take mom out or fix dinner for her today. Just let her know you care.

  • Write her a note to let her know how much you love and appreciate her.
    • Surprise her with flowers or a simple gift – it doesn’t have to be extravagant, just let her know you care and are thinking about her.
  • If you don’t live close, give her a call. She just wants to hear from you especially on Mother’s Day.
    • Plan a fun outing just for mom.What does your mom like to do? Does she like to garden? Take her to a Nursery to pick out plants. Sew? Go to a fabric or craft store and pick out a project you can work on together. Enjoy the outdoors? Go on that hike you’ve always wanted to, but never have.Just do something with mom.
    • MOTHER’S DAY PROJECTS
    • For young children, handprints are always fun.
    • Some fun ideas for preschoolers, 
Cut out a teacup shape so that the child can decorate it to give to mom. Then plan a time when mom can sit down with their preschooler and have a tea party.
      • Give mom a packet of seeds with a card that has thumbprint flowers on it, write, “Thanks mom, for helping me grow.” on the card.

Kid’s Section

STORY: Esau Forgives – Genesis 27, 28, 33
Isaac and Rebekah had twin boys named Jacob and Esau. They were very different from each other. Just like you are growing, they grew too and soon they were grown up. (Start in a crouched position and then slowly stand up and reach as high as you can as though growing.)

Sometimes they made poor choices. They forgot to be kind to each other. Once when Esau was hungry, Jacob talked him into promising that he could one day be the family leader. Esau didn’t stop to think about what was most important and he agreed to what Jacob was asking.

Then one day Jacob and his mom decided to play a trick on Jacob’s dad, Isaac. Jacob wanted his dad to bless him so he pretended to be Esau. He dressed up like Esau and acted like Esau. (Pretend to put on clothes.) Isaac really did think that Jacob was Esau and he blessed him. Esau was very mad when he found out what Jacob had done. (Show mad face.) He was so mad, (Show mad face.) he wanted to hurt Jacob. So Isaac and Rebekah sent Jacob away. They sent him (Pretend to pack.) to live with his uncle Laban for awhile. It was a long trip, (Walk, walk, walk!) but God was with Jacob.

Jacob lived with Uncle Laban for a very long time. He got married and had lots of kids. Finally he decided it was time to go home. Jacob was sorry for the way he had treated Esau. (Show sad face.) He was afraid (Show scared face.) that Esau would still be mad, (Show mad face.) but Jacob trusted God and prayed. (Fold hands as though praying.) He asked God to help him. Then he picked out some of his best animals as a gift. (Extend hands outward as though giving a gift.) When Jacob saw Esau, he bowed. (Bow.) What would Esau do? Would he still be mad? Would he try to hurt him?

But Esau wasn’t mad any more. He was very happy (Smile.) to see his brother. He ran (Run in place.) to meet him and gave him a big hug. (Hug yourself.) He forgave him and was kind to him. The brothers were very happy (Smile.) that God had cared for them while they were apart. God kept Jacob and Esau safe and brought them back together again. They were very happy to see each other. (Smile.) Jacob was sorry he had hurt Esau and Esau forgave Jacob just like God wanted him too. God is kind and forgives us too. He really loves you. He wants you to love and forgive your family too. He wants you to be kind and forgive others just like He is kind and forgives you.

PRAYER:
Dear God,
Thank you for my family. Help me to be kind and forgive, because I know you forgive me. I love you. Thank you for loving and caring for me. Amen

KNOW: God is with me. God wants families to love and forgive each other.
TALK ABOUT: Feelings. What does it mean to forgive?
ASK: Who cares for me? God cares for me.
AND DO… I can be kind and forgive.

FUN IDEAS FOR THIS WEEK

  • Show kindness to someone who has been unkind to you – play with him, give her a high five, share a snack – do something to show that you forgive them. 
  • Make a kindness or forgiveness tree by drawing a tree with your child. Hang the tree in your child’s room or on the fridge. Each time your child shows kindness or forgiveness put a sticker on the tree.

    MEMORIZE: 1 Peter 5:7 ERV – (Hold hands like holding a book.)
    Give – (Extend hands out.)
    All your worries – (Shake hands)
    To Him – (Point up.)
    He – (Point upwards.)
    Cares – (Rub arm gently.)
    For you – (Give self a hug.)