May Garden
• Dec. 3, 2007 - Seasonal Discipleship
The Lord Has Impressed Upon Me what I am going to dub Seasonal Home Discipleship.
WINTER
In the wintertime we are mostly indoors. Sure it's a temptation to get grumpy and complain about the gray days of the season but the Lord has shown me the first step to getting away from a negative attitude or bad habit is searching for the hidden blessing. There always is one! Many times it is my own heart and mind that seems to cover the treasure that the Lord wants me to enjoy.
Last year I was sorely displeased when Spring came. "What?", you say..." But Jacinda you even named your blog May Garden, you obviously love the outdoors you have all these pictures of your family out exploring and enjoying the created world. "
My answer is "BUT GOD!"
The Lord uses so much to reach us and teach us.
I grew to love the closeness of our physical coziness inside all the time. And then the Lord revealed to me that this is a very special season. This is a time where in depth discipleship can take place! In the Springtime we still stay close to one another but we are so busy going on walks, playing and working in our yard, and meeting friends at the local park... I want the children to have healthy freedom like being able to play freely in their yard with out mama hovering over them! Or without mama being ashamed of their actions. Or afraid they will get hurt.
If I want obedience and good behavior out in public then I need to foster it in private.
I can't tell you how many undue angry times I have had because my children were uncontrollable and I could NOT discipline as I needed to because we were out in the public eye. So what does this do to me? It gives me too much room for built frustration to come out verbally. It 'teaches' me that parenting is too hard and it gives me 'permission' to ignore things that should be taken care of right away.
So at the end of this season I want to be able to confidently go out into the world with my more obedient children and do all the exploring and work we have planned knowing everyone will be SAFE.
As we have been going through the Little House series the children have had really neat discussions with me about the adventures of that pioneer family! They have noticed on their own that these children would not have made it alive if they hadn't listened to their parents warnings! I love literature especially that which gets One thinking deeply. I also love to see literature change lives and I am hoping our Little House studies will do this.
May Garden refers to my special season of life that started as a mama when my first child was born in May! I want to always be reminded of that important season that the Lord has given me to give into these little ones lives. I certainly don't want to be ashamed or disappointed when this season of mothering is over and I am moving into another blessed season as a mom of adult children or that of being grandma!
I don't want a lot of the coulda, woulda, shouldas! that steal joy.
Winter is a great time of inner reflection for me. We live in a small home and when I purpose to get up early there are only a few things I can do that won't disturb and wake my family.
Being limited to reading, having prayer, computer time, and writing has been really just what I need. As it nears day light I shower, dress, and get busy in the kitchen with the meal preparations.
That is where I am headed right now. Let's be content in the season we are in looking forward to the next season we will move into because we know we have done what we could in the present!
|
Post A Comment! :: Send to a Friend!
|
|
|
|
|
• Dec. 5, 2007 - Untitled Comment
I have struggled with the winter blues but agree that in some ways it is good to have that closeness to work on discipline problems that pop up. Being out in public has always been hard especially when my children are under age 4.
I think I would really like the Little house series. I wonder if they are the same as the one's I've seen in the library?