Happergy

/ Julie Harris

Happy Face

 

Oh, what a joy it is to raise a highly spirited, strong-willed child!

Each morning the madness begins… get up!  get dressed!  where are your socks?  did you brush your teeth?  don’t forget to brush your hair!  are you wearing deodorant?  you have to eat something!!

This morning, my youngest flings her shoes down beside her as she sits on the floor.  They have been double knotted from the day before and she can’t get them undone.  “I CAN’T DO IT” she yells at me as she throws them.   I pray a thousand prayers for patience for both of us in a mere second.

“Babe, just hand it here… I will help you.  You need to calm down- you are very excited.”

Through gritted teeth and beady eyes she calmly tells me that she is not excited  and that she is very mad that she cannot untie her shoes.

I tell her that being excited means that she is energetic… and that she needs to focus her energy from being mean to being happy. I told her it takes much less energy to be happy than it does to be mean, and that by having happy energy, she will surely have a better day.   Happergy– I called it!  I continued to help her untie her shoes as I made funny faces at her.  She then burst out into her contagious “happergy” giggles.

I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  Ecclesiastes 3:12

I don’t always react in the most positive way when my children have outbursts, but He is teaching me to pray in the moment.  I pray so often that both of my girls will be strong-willed for Christ!   I have to remember each and every interaction I have with them is teaching them something.  They are learning how to react to the world around them by watching me.  Oh, how I pray for self control and patience!

Lord, help me to be a joyful mom and to keep my cool in the midst of the hustle and bustle.  Help me to shine Your light to my children so that they may be a lamp to others today.  May we be filled with grace today and share Your love to all who cross our paths!  

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