Example of Encouragement

-

Kristina and I sometimes talk about whether or not an occasion is 'blog-worthy.'  More often than not the event is funny, or cute, but doesn't fit with what I blog about.

Today's event was different; it fits perfectly.  Not only do I get to blog about my kids, but I also get to blog about encouragement.  Couldn't ask for more!

Every night Hannah has a bedtime routine.  In the middle of it is bath time.  Lately, bath time has become much more fun with the addition of Ethan.  







--------------->






Hannah thinks that sharing a bath with her brother is the best thing in the world.  On top of that, Hannah has always loved the water.  Ethan, however, flip-flops like a bad politician on the whole bathing issue.  Some days he is ecstatic; kicking and laughing and giggling so hard that he floats around.  Other days he is enraged; screaming so loud that Hannah backs away from him in distress.  





    ?






Today was an 'enraged' day.  We put Ethan in the bath and he very slowly put out his lower lip, forming his pouty face.  Then the screams came.  Hannah quickly backed away and looked at me, asking me if he was 'Hungy?' or 'Poopy?' 

Once Ethan gets going you can't calm him down in the bath.  So, Kristina pulled him out and wrapped him in his towel and bounced him on her knee.  This is where things got interesting.  

Ethan didn't calm down quickly and Hannah saw her opportunity.  She stood up in front of Ethan and began to perform.  I mean that literally.  She talked to him, danced for him, splashed water for him, clapped for him, and sang for him.  All to make him smile. She fake laughed and giggled, and she did this until she was literally shivering from being out of the bath water.  All the while she was just waiting for a smile, even a small one.  When Ethan finally gave it to her she squealed with joy.  

Meanwhile, I am sitting there thinking, 'now that's encouragement.'  Hannah didn't know what was wrong with Ethan, but she knew he was upset.  So she did all that she knew how (she's only 19 months old after all) to cheer him up.  She did it to the point of creating discomfort for herself, and when she got even a small response from him she was genuinely happy about it. 

I know that the selfish years, the 'me', 'mine', and 'no' times, are just around the corner (or so I hear from more experienced parents than myself).  I also know that children are not perfect.  But for me this was a great example of thinking of others before yourself.  Would I have done the equivalent to what Hannah did for someone who was sad?  Hannah may not be very old, but she showed me a glimpse of what love looks like today, and I appreciate it.  Here I go learning from my kids again... I'm such a good parent! :) 






Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

- Philippians 2:3


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgiveness: A Hard Word From Luther

-
"Those who follow Christ grieve more over the sin of their offenders than over the loss or offense to themselves. And they do this that they may recall those offenders from their sin rather than avenge the wrongs they themselves have suffered. Therefore they put off the form of their own righteousness and put on the form of those others, praying for their persecutors, blessing those who curse, doing good to the evil-doers, preparing to pay the penalty and make satisfaction for their very enemies that they may be saved. This is the gospel and the example of Christ." - Martin Luther (Quoted by Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge, pg. 161-162)
Read more

A Good Tree Bears Good Fruit....

-
Image
"Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." - Matthew 7:17-18 "One of the most powerful ways to influence the behavior of a system is through its purpose or goal. That's because the goal is the direction-setter of the system, the definer of discrepancies that require action, the indicator of compliance, failure, or success toward which balancing feedback loops work. If the goal is defined badly, if it doesn't measure what it's supposed to measure, if it doesn't reflect the real welfare of the system, then the system can't possibly produce a desirable result. Systems, like the three wishes in the traditional fairy tale, have a terrible tendency to produce exactly and only what you ask them to produce. Be careful what you ask them to produce." - Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems. 
Read more

A Gracious Reading of Rob Bell

-
The Journey So Far The controversy rages on over Rob Bell's upcoming new book. No matter what happens now, this controversy has effectively guaranteed that 'everyone who is anyone' will need to read this book. Either to find out what is wrong and bash it, or because someone we generally disagree with also disagrees with the book so it has to be good stuff! Then, because 'everyone' is reading it, people like me will 'have to' read it to. After all, I am a pastor, and if many of my people are reading and being influenced by a book, don't I need to know what is going on as well?  Or so the reasoning will go... and perhaps I will read it, who knows. In the meantime, none of this will stop me from continuing to join this fray which I probably ought to have stayed out of in the first place. Onwards, Christian... :) The Latest Salvo The latest salvo has been fired by DeYoung  claiming that not only do we not need to talk with Bell but, more importantly, it
Read more