“Have courage and be kind.” What a beautiful mantra Cinderella learned from her mama in the live –
action movie from 2015. What will your children remember you saying?
I once heard Chonda Pierce say that her mother used to tell her to not drink beer because it leads to
dancing. Memorable for sure. Her mama also taught her wonderful things about Jesus and life in Him.
What do you remember your mama or guardian telling you?
Proverbs 31:26 says, “When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness.”
The other day I was in a silly mood and sang a very loud song and did a dance as I walked into the room
my children were playing in. They didn’t even look up. It cracked me up. Apparently, I often do weird
and silly things, because they were unaffected and not surprised at all.
I know they’ll remember I was weird, but I wonder what they will remember I have taught them.
Regularly, I’ll ask my children if they know I love them. When each of them was about four, they
exasperatedly responded, “Yes, Mama. You tell me every day.” That response delighted my heart every
time. I don’t ever want my children to wonder if I told them I loved them.
I want them to remember me saying wise things like, “Jesus loves you no matter what all the time and
so do I.” I want them to remember me quoting Scripture as a relevant answer to their problem or
singing a Seeds Family Worship Scripture song with them to remind them of a truth they already know.
I also want to show them I love them with the way I speak to them. By the middle of the school year, it
gets hard to get my oldest ones out of bed. I try to wake my children with a sweet voice and let them
know it’s time to wake up and how long they have before they need to be dressed and ready to go for
breakfast or to head out the door. When they are still in bed 45 minutes later and we need to leave in
15 minutes, I need to tell them the truth. Kindness is doing the right thing out of the tenderness of your
heart. I want my children to learn the lesson of the importance of being ready for the day and on time
for what God’s placed before us because I love them. I can teach them that lesson by barking them
awake or gently (controlled power) letting them know the time and expectations for the next 15
minutes. Being kind may also involve starting to get them up a bit earlier and giving them consequences
for not getting up with my wake-up call (a personal alarm or missing breakfast).
Take some time to talk with God about what your children will remember you teaching them and if it
will be wise and kind.
