Lent

Preparing children for school, for a recital, for being a friend, for facing difficulties and a hundred other things is the job of a parent. It is not easy. When older people say to savor these moments, these are the best  years of your life, it occurs to me that they are perhaps allowing themselves to have a selective memory. There is a certain reward from the hard work of parenting, but it is just that, hard work. The lack of sleep, the stickiness, the limitation to your freedom of movement, literally and figuratively, are all difficult and exhausting. As children grow more independent and the limitations of raising children lift a little each year, it is a blessing. There is a happy reward in seeing the child, to whom you read Good Night Moon three times every night for a year, grow into a mature young adult. To see the girl, who insisted on wearing her socks inside out because the seam on the toe bothered her, appear each morning dressed and groomed beautifully for school without any fuss or even discussion. It takes time to see the results of parenting. It is a short time that seems very long.

Lent is very much like parenting in that way. It is only 40 days, not even a month and a half, and yet it can drag on and on. Forty days seems a very long time when you have committed to give something up or to take on a difficult task. Like parenting Lent is a way to prepare. If you are a parent, you are ready for Lent because you have been practicing preparing since the day you discovered you were to be a parent. 

Like parenting, Lent seems like a really good idea at first. We launch into Lent with the belief that we can go without chocolate for a mere six weeks; that we can memorize a new verse from the Bible each day for forty days; that we can be kinder or more gentle or healthier. Again like parenting, the great ideas wear thin after awhile. The going gets tougher. The sparkle of the new wears off and some days it is just hard, unrewarding work. Yet the reward does come. Just as recalcitrent toddlers slowly but surely turn into charming young adults, so too does the discipline of Lent turn into a joyful Easter. Lent's work makes Easter's joy more full, more real something to be cherished.

I hope each of us has the forethought to commit ourselves to a Lenten discipline and the dedication to continue that commitment to the end with the sure and certain hope that Easter will come and with it the blessing of the season.  

Blessings,

Michelle

Gifts in the New Year

   The season of Epiphany brings with it the new year. The kings came bearing gifts and the new year comes with unknown gifts as well. It is as good a time as any to reflect on what gifts I can bring to my church and my family this year. I read that if you write down your goals there is a much greater chance of accomplishing your goals. And so I did. Most of my goals are personal, but one I will admit to is that I will try to pay more compliments than I usually do. Now I am not going to fawn over anyone, I don’t think I would know how. I will only pay compliments that are sincere. I have come to realize that often in the rush of daily life I don’t pause to comment on a job well done.

   Everyone appreciates being appreciated. My children do very well at many things. I’ve come to expect a high standard in anything to which they set their hands or minds. Sometimes I forget to be thrilled at their hard work. Most times I feel very satisfied, but don’t mention it. This year I am going to try to be more vocal. I assume they know how proud I am of them, but just in case they missed my nod of approval, I will make the effort to state it to them very clearly.

   When they were little we had a dinner plate we called the “Good Job” plate. The plate had the words “Good Job” printed on it, hence the name. Whenever someone did an extra good job at school, or home, or music lessons they were served dinner on the “Good Job” plate. Whenever someone worked hard on a project, no matter the outcome, they would get the “Good Job” plate. The plate was a sincere acknowledgement of hard work. It was not used every night. It might be pulled out once or twice a month. At dinner that night everyone would hear what deed warranted the “Good Job” plate.

   As the kids have turned into teens the plate has lost some of its wonder. This year I will try to find a replacement for attesting to good deeds done and hard won achievements. Celebrating the accomplishments of life and the milestones of life are worth doing and add joy to the day to day. The bible tells us to give thanks at all times. We have to acknowledge the good things around us in order to give thanks. I think the “good job” plate helped.

   As parents we should all find a way to acknowledge the successes of your children, small or large. Make sincere compliments not made up ones. If you are with your children and involved in their lives you will know what is a big accomplishment for them and what needs to be noticed. We are so often worried with correcting that we might forget to remember the steps forward. God has blessed us with so very much and we need to be thankful of it.

Happy New Year,

Michelle