More Wisdom from a Child

My husband and I headed to the city with our youngest daughter, who is nine. We had an interesting discussion on sin and how it always starts out as a thought before it leads to an action. The drive was almost an hour so we had lots of time to talk! Some examples would be children murdering each other over a pair of tennis shoes. I'm sure they didn't set out to murder someone. But somewhere along the line, envy /or coveting /or hate became an evil seed that was planted and the end result of that 'little' sin became murder. Or take David in the Bible. He was not where he was supposed to be: "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11) . Something that simple led to so much more. He wasn't where he was supposed to be. From that he looked at Bathsheba; then he had her brought to him; then an illegitimate child; then a death. My daughter said; "So it all begins in the heart?"
"YES!"
How right she is! How simple that is!

And we were also discussing forgiveness. And how holding on to anger leads the unforgiving to let that fester and turn into hate and gossip and other bad stuff. So forgiving someone is best for the one who's been wronged! And it doesn't mean that you put yourself back in a situation where they can mistreat you again. It just means that you let go of the bad feelings through Christ.
She said; "Forgiveness is like vegetables for your heart. It's good for you."

I'm so glad we homeschool. I still have so much to learn!

Who's Influencing Whom?

I learn so much from my kids. Daily.
I wonder if God gave me my kids for me to influence them?
Or more likely for their influence on me! :)

My oldest daughter is involved in a local play and came home upset yesterday. Seems that there was a mother who came in to pick up her child after play practice and decided to single out a boy who was only *part* of a group of children acting less than perfectly. Not this mother's child. Someone else's.

So why was my daughter upset? She hadn't been misbehaving. It wasn't her problem. She barely knew the child being singled out.

She was upset because of the harsh way that the mother chastised this young boy in front of everyone. She was upset because he was a part of the group misbehaving and the mother treated him as if he were the *only* one. She was upset because the mother had no business even saying anything since she was only there to pick up her child. She was upset at the behavior of the adult towards the child. She was upset at the injustice done to another. Her heart broke for the boy who was singled out unfairly.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
Luke 6:32-33

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:17-18

May God continue to use my children to remind me that our hearts should break for others' sufferings.

Do It, Anyway

I found this while searching through cyberland. It struck home because of the incident yesterday.

People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

--James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 54.

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
and a little child shall lead them.
~Isaiah 11:6