Wednesday, April 30, 2014

You Really Do Matter

"Are you even listening to me?"   Have you ever found yourself saying that as a parent.  I know I have many times.  It is frustrating, annoying and makes me wonder if I am even making a difference.

Do the little things you do and say really matter?

They do.

Every night we gather together for family prayer.  I will be honest, my prayers have become a little redundant lately, saying many of the same things, not fully putting my heart into it, just in a rush to get the kids in bed.

A couple of weeks back, one night, when it was my turn to say family prayer I stopped and really took my time.  I prayed for each person in my family by name, saying what I am grateful for naming  something good about each person.  By the end of the prayers I was in tears.

I didn't say anything, I didn't give a big speech or plan some elaborate lesson about the importance of prayer.

I just did it.

That night as my kids knelt by their beds to pray both Lucas and Alex named each person in our family by name praying for each person, and it has continued night after night.

They do listen.  It probably won't be during the lectures or the lessons it is those little moments, our actions, the things we do, the things that we pay attention to, spend our time with. the things we show that matter to us; that is when they listen.

They watch, they listen.

They are learning from you each and everyday.

What are you teaching?

You do matter.

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Linking up with Shell's Pour Your Heart Out

17 comments:

  1. Great story...very inspirational!

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  2. So true! It always amazes me when my nieces or nephew repeat something later on that I've said on whim, without thinking about it - they really are listening! Great message today :)

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  3. What a great moment that turned into something special for your family!

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    1. Thank you, moments like this make it all worth it

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  4. beautiful... when we really put thought into it it becomes something beautiful doesn't it?

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  5. SO nice to hear. Love this story.

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  6. Very nice!

    I try to watch how I behave, because I know my kids are watching. Sometimes I need to watch myself.

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  7. How wonderful! I learn new things from my son everyday. He has such a great way of looking at things.

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  8. So, so true. Thank you for this reminder. They're listening.

    So glad to have found you through Shell's linkup :) ~Jenna // A Mama Collective

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  9. You are such a great example for your kids! :)

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    1. Thank you! Definitely make way too many mistakes but I try to do and be good

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  10. My kids are so much more aware than I give them credit for. Even though I know this I still forget it sometimes. My son was sick the other night, and my daughter said she woke up and she just started praying for him. So yes, they really do listen and mothers do make a huge difference. :)

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    1. That would make a mama's heart so happy. And yes, they definitely are aware.

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  11. Okay you just brought me to tears. I think it's cool you do family prayers as well. very cool!

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