Overflow, Power of Music, & Negativity
After last week's irritation culminated in a sliced hand & shards in my cabinet,
I'm picking up the pieces - literally - and starting fresh this week with a renewed spirit!
Our pastor has been speaking on generosity & giving this month, (not a "comfortable" topic for the depressing month after Christmas spending sprees...but I think that's kind of what makes it perfect, too.) I heard a great gem this morning:
Your overflow is someone else's necessity.
I ask God to show me everything I can give (not just money & material things, but time & talents) to those who need them.
This is random, but in the background I am watching the US Figure Skating Championships (I like ladies' figure skating during Olympic years :-P & I'm waiting for FOOTBALL! Go Peyton & Brett. ;-)) and the music keeps catching me. One girl skated to Tchaikovsky's Pas de Deux, which is my absolute favorite ballet music of ALL TIME, and I was just transfixed. Another to music from Gone with the Wind - my heart welled. Music reaches me like nothing else on Earth. I think it is the most powerful force God ever designed to draw out emotions in my life.
Speaking of emotions, Will needs prayers (and I do, too, for dealing with this the right way) for not focusing on the negative. I've talked to a few other mom-friends, and they're all going through this too, so I know it's just a phase (& that blah winter doesn't help) but it's driving us nuts. Whatever happy, wonderful thing we're doing, Will has been finding the one thing he can to complain about. He is the sweetest, most golden-hearted kid, and I think that's why this behavior just feels so urgently unacceptable & wrong. Example: after going out to his favorite place for lunch & doing what he wants all afternoon, he whines when we get home b/c I say no Wii. Just rude & ungrateful. And I know that is not his heart. When we pray at bedtime, we always list everything we're thankful for that day, so I really don't think it's an issue of not realizing all of the good things. I think he's just learning how to battle selfishness and how to balance exerting his will.
I think we all still battle the same thing most days, ourselves, huh?
absolutely! (to your last sentence).
ReplyDeletethe difference is that we "grown-ups" are able to "hide" or cover up our selfish thoughts/tendencies, where children Will's age don't know that it's not "socially acceptable" (or even sinful) to always put our needs before others' needs. don't worry...he'll get it. he might even be working through it MUCH earlier than other kids and will be a "giver" sooner rather than later! :)
first, let me say that tchaikovsky's pas de deux is MY favorite piece of classical music, too! whenever i hear it, i have to pause, because i always get lost in its beauty. there is so much emotion in that one piece of music, it often brings me to tears!
ReplyDeletesecond, yes, i know this phase will is going through. i nannied for a family in columbia and the kid had this problem BIG time. prayer, reminders of all you have been given, and patience will see him through. i'll also be praying for God to give you inspiration as you help will see that there is more to life that what "i" get or don't get. personally, i think every human being struggles with it, so prayers are going your way that God will give you patience and direction to help you help Will. love ya
totally agree with your last statment of your blog and just talked to my friend about that last night! i love how you relate to other moms on so many levels!
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY, Liz! And I hope so!
ReplyDeleteThank you ALL SOOOOO MUCH for being here with me!!! :-)