Some moms nodded affirmatively. But not me. I have never said those words, and I never will. I get sick of the weather. I get sick of the way my team is playing ball (although, not lately!). I get sick of various things in life. But I will never say that I am sick of my kids. You see, I made a promise over sixteen years ago--I promised myself, the child in my womb, and any children to come that I would never say those words. Here's why.
When I was pregnant with Danya, I was doing full-time office work. Most of the women I worked with had very little control over what they said, and they were very negative about their homes, husbands, and children. One young woman in particular arrived nearly every morning enthusing over how glad she was to be back at work. "I'm sick of those kids!" she would exclaim as she then detailed how awful the evening or weekend had been, taking care of two toddlers who drove her crazy. Spending time with her babies was horrible, to hear her talk. She was always glad to leave them with the sitter and come to work where no one hassled her.
One Monday morning, she didn't arrive at work. Everyone knew where she was. We had all seen it on the news over the weekend. After begging her husband to get her out of the house on Saturday night, they had left the two little ones with a sitter. The sitter, who had been watching a horror movie marathon for the past day and a half, stabbed one of the children to death.
Okay, I know this is not a normal blog post. But this is a true story that really happened, and when it did, I made a few decisions. I decided then and there that children and life and the hope I live with every day is not something to be taken lightly. I realized the truth of what the Bible teaches about how words hold the power of life and death. And I made a promise that I would never ever say that I was sick of my kids, but that I would cherish every moment I had with them, because you never know.
I certainly don't think about this story every day. In fact, I haven't thought about it for years. But perhaps God is speaking to someone today about the power of words. Maybe this post is a wake-up call for you.
Reckless words pierce like a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Proverbs 12:18)
~Rebecca
4 comments:
Wow. I don't ever say that but I think it quite often. I have one child, in particular, that I struggle with. I feel like I'm butting my head against against a brick wall each and every day with her. Sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy trying to parent her. I struggle continually and need so much prayer for this relationship. I am not sick of this child, just sick of the drama and pain of our relationship. Prayers for us please?
Great post.
Wow. Thanks for this insight. I haven't said "I'm sick of my kids." But I have said "My kids are driving me crazy." Something to think about.
And I thank God for my precious children, who I prayed and prayed for, often.
What a powerful post.
I've been a mom for 28 years. We're entering our 13th year of home schooling and I confess there are times I grow weary... I'm not as young as I used to be! But I KNOW that my children (all children, actually) are GIFTS from the Lord. And I'm so glad that I'm not sick of them.
It is so true that our words matter. If we keep saying negative things about our children, they will become the truth in our lives. Thankfully, the reverse is true too! Call your kids champions and they will be. Thanks for your thought provoking post!
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