I can't help but marvel at the optimism that children exude. I can't stand going to my husband's softball games. It's a half hour away, ruins the nighttime/bath schedule, it's boring, and it's not fun to try managing four little kids in the stands. My husband always wants us to go and since his season is almost done, we decided to go today. This causes me to already be irritated. I packed a dinner for each of the kids, including the baby. It was cold and cloudy when we got there but I had checked the radar ahead of time and it was supposed to be clear, trust me, I was looking for any excuse not to go! After about five minutes it started misting. I was wet, cold, uncomfortable, irritated and ready to go home. My children on the other hand were loving it!
They did not complain one time about the weather even though they were just as wet as I was. Even the baby was in a great mood and usually she is clamoring to get out of her stroller. I am just in awe of my children. Not once did they complain about the rain, they didn't even seem to notice how wet they were! They didn't complain about their dinners. They didn't complain about not being able to go to the park because of the rain. They ran around, laughing and playing for an hour while I stood there grumpily in my damp clothes.
How is it that children seem to find the positive even in a sea full of negatives? How is it that they can figure out a way to have fun without toys, playgrounds, etc.? Sometimes I think we grown ups get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of our days that we forget to see all the goodness around us. We are so worried about something our coworker said or did, that we overlook the positives in our work environment. We are so worried about making sure we are stretching our pennies each month that we overlook being thankful for the pennies we have coming in each month. We are irritated with our spouse for doing or not doing something that we underappreciate what they have helped with.
One of the things I love most about being a mom is that it gives me a unique opportunity to see things through the eyes of my children. They constantly find the goodness around them. Children constantly see the goodness in others. It hurts me to even have to have a conversation with them about people that might not have good intentions because I don't want to break their innocence. Jesus taught a constant message of love and acceptance. He was always teaching that our job is not to judge others, that job is left to our almighty Father. Why do we take it upon ourselves to see the bad around us, albeit in a situation or another person? Why is it so hard for us as a people to find the goodness in others and ourselves?
God wanted us to treat others the way we want to be treated but how often do we actually do that? When we are wronged, do we forgive? Because we all make mistakes and we would all want to be forgiven. When children have an argument, they yell, cry, retaliate, but are playing again moments later as if the disagreement never took place. Pope Frances made a statement that if gays are trying to become closer to God, who are we to judge? Why does this even make the news? Why is this some sort of new concept? Jesus has always taught us to love each other, to forgive each other, to help each other. Imagine what the world would be like if we looked for the good in others and situations around us, rather than concerning ourselves with what we don't agree with.
Someone once told me, "love the sinner, hate the sin". There are certainly people in my own life who have treated me poorly, who have hurt me deeply, who have insulted me greatly. Some of them I have been able to forgive, and some I think I have forgiven, and some I have definitely not yet been able to forgive. It is something I pray about every day. I struggle with the idea of forgiving not as a means of saying that what they did was ok, but as a way for me to release myself from the hurt and pain that that person has caused me. Sometimes I feel like if I don't forgive them, it will show them how wrong their actions were but logically I know that the only person who is being affected is me.
I am a constant work in progress. The worst thing in life is to be stagnant. We should always be trying to grow. If you're not growing, your not living. Children see things so purely for what they are. They don't look for hidden meaning, hidden agendas or hidden motives. They simply take things at face value. If there is a bump in the road they go around. If they fall and get hurt, they get back up and move forward. If someone hurts them they cry and move on. We are constantly trying to shape our children into productive, responsible adults and I think we forget sometimes to allow ourselves to be shaped by our children as well. Children have so much to offer us in terms of life lessons.
Please God, help me to learn from my children today. Please God, help me love those I have disdain for. Help me learn to love, not to judge. Help me be a role model of optimism and positivity. Thank you for the simplicity with which my children view the world.
Thanks for reading!
Busy Mommy Blogger
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