by Sharon O | Jan 24, 2010 | Uncategorized
The other day our son asked his almost 6 year old son a question as he was making lunch for them. He said “son would you like a whole sandwich?” the reply came quickly “no thanks I just want two halves”. Our son shared that he had to think about it for a minute. Being a parent is challenging enough, but when we get those kind of ‘answers’ it is good to stop and think. Take a moment and breathe.
They were saying the same thing only in different ways. It reminded me of the verse found in 1st Corinthians in the new testament of the Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:11 : When I was a child I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up I put away childhood things (some versions say childish ways).
They were saying the same thing.
Only maturity would know the difference.
How often do we do that? We say the same thing as someone else only in a different way. Our way becomes our truth or maybe our reality. My grandson wanted two halves. Two halves made a whole. He didn’t ask for a whole he asked for two. The same end result. Just different perspectives and thought processes. Life is like that, a challenge of perspectives and opinions. To be open and flexible is a gift we can give to others. My son handled the two halves in a mature, reasonable way and lunch was shared. (of course taking the experience in as another humorous moment in their lives).
Our willingness to see and experience another persons point of view helps us to grow in maturity.
Lord in our journey this week help us to be open to all that you allow us to be a part of. Give us wisdom to know how to not make a big deal out of something. When it really ends up with the same result.
And Lord… thank you for little boys.
by Sharon O | Jan 23, 2010 | Uncategorized
I woke up this morning feeling tired. It’s Saturday. A day to rest for me. Most weekdays require me to be up and moving… by 6 am. I was thinking about my little grand daughter. The three little girls spent the day with grandma. I had given them a snack in the afternoon. This time it was hard boiled eggs. They like ‘eggs they can hold’. She is almost 6 and very opinionated as they are at that age. So sure of themselves. I said to her ‘you know protein is really a good snack, it makes you have energy and helps you to feel good’. She looked at me as she was eating her hard boiled egg and said ‘we don’t eat protein at our house’… I said ‘OH’ looking a bit surprised wondering to myself, what is your egg? She said again firmly with a look in her eyes only she can give, ‘we don’t eat PROTEIN’… mommy doesn’t like it. I had to stop and think… well… she is very adamant about something she really is unsure of… being only 6 she might not know eggs are considered protein. My thought today is this… What are we really adamant about and why?? How firm is our feeling about it and how grounded are we in the truth. She was firm… in her thought, but the truth wasn’t alongside her firmness. Her reality was being adamant about something she didn’t know about. She will in time learn what protein is in the food groups, it wasn’t my job to tell her anything different. It was my job to let her come to her own awareness. And enjoy the moment with her. I love being a grandma I will get a lot of ideas from them. I challenge you and me today to examine ourselves. What are we adamant about and why? The Webster’s definition of adamant is : utterly unyielding in attitude or opinion in spite of all appeals, urgings etc. Something to think about today.
by Sharon O | Jan 22, 2010 | Uncategorized
As I began to write on my facebook page I wanted to share something I learned last night only I changed it a bit to make it more ‘relational’… Friendship is: the intentional process of investing in someone to HELP them deepen their intimacy with God/Christ (and others) and discover who God made them to be. It is in the investing of others that move us out of our own issues and problems. The INTENTIONAL process of walking alongside someone. Listening to their heart, listening to their hurts. Finding time within our day to ‘call, write, or pray’ for another. To stop and LISTEN. To what is said and NOT said. Sometimes it is in that moment of listening we learn something about our selves and others in the process. It is a challenge for our selves when maybe we don’t want to be challenged. It is a pressing forward to allow someone else.. in our world. Lord help us all to be better friends.
