My Not-So-Perfect Morning

"If you keep on biting and devouring eachother, you will be destroyed by eachother." Galatians 5:15

The Lord knows it is very rare for me to get myself out of bed before the kids and open His good book...so when I do, He is sure to get right to the point.

And as I found this Bible verse, I promised Him, I would do better at talking gently to my children, using my words wisely, showing the ultimate respect to my husband ESPECIALLY in front of my children...I would not allow us to be destroyed by sharp words and negative criticism.....

My crazy kids!

Ahhh, then they all woke up, and the clock was ticking, and the morning school rush swept us all up and got me all flustered. Especially since I have one jokester, one daydreamer, and one stubborn-as-a-mule-not-going-to-do-anything-but-curl-up-into-a-ball-and-hide-under-the-covers!!
My volume gets louder and louder and finally, I shout, "Why do you only listen to me when I raise my voice!?!"

Ugh! If I didn't know better, I would wallow in my defeat, throw in the towel, say, "God, I'm not good enough ever, I quit!".

But I do know better. God has been shaping my mother's heart for over nine years now, and He has constantly whispered, "Grace", and I remember that I am not good enough, I am always going to fall short, but yet, he bestows His Grace on me, and I am His, always!

So, I pay it forward, and give my off-task children a little grace-- I hug and kiss them, pray with them, and drop them off at school with smiles...and they display grace to Mama...they forget the struggle to get out the door, they giggle in the car, they return the hugs and kisses at drop off.

My heart may have undergone nine years of shaping, but in no way is it perfect yet...or will it be. In my Bible study, I am reminded that the definition of "perfect" is to be "complete, finished, goal accomplished". I will continue to allow God's shaping, but I know that only my first glimpse at those Heavenly gates will prove perfection.

So, Monday will come around, and I will try a little harder, equipped with a weekend of prayer, and scoot those kids out the door with a little less strife, and a little more grace. I'll maintain my tongue as best as I can, and will avoid the destruction, equipped with the advice as explained in Galatians 5:16,
 "live by the Spirit." Thank you, God, for that!