Fam(ILY)

Family

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,

'Oh excuse me please' was my reply.

He said, 'Please excuse me too;

I wasn't watching for you.'

We were very polite, this stranger and I.

We went on our way and we said goodbye.

But at home a different story is told,

How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking an evening meal,

My son stood beside me very still.

When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.

'Move out of the way,' I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.

I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.

While I lay awake in bed,

God's still small voice came to me and said,

'While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,

But the family you love, you seem to abuse.

Go look on the kitchen floor,

You'll find some flowers there by the door...

Those are the flowers he brought for you.

He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.

He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,

You never saw the tears that filled his little eyes.'

By this time, I felt very small,

And now my tears began to fall.

I quietly went and knelt by his bed;

'Wake up, little one, wake up,' I said.

'Are these the flowers you picked for me?'

He smiled, 'I found 'em, out by the tree.

I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.

I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue.'

I said, 'Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;

I shouldn't have yelled at you that way.'

He said, 'Oh, Mom, that's okay.

I love you anyway.'

I said, 'Son I love you too,

And I do like the flowers, especially the blue.'

|author unknown|
 

 I read this tonight on someone else's blog and it spoke to my heart. No, I don't have children yet, but I do see parents speaking to their children in this way in times of frustration- and I too am guilty of treating some that I love {and who love me the most} the worst at times. It's something that convicts my heart and I pray about often. I try to catch myself but often times I find it easy to just lash out because I know I am unconditionally loved. 


Which also got me to think...


Does that mean we're abusing that unconditional love? Or are we taking it for granted? Or taking advantage of it? Does everyone do this- or is it just a couple of us horrible ones? 


I feel like at times, as Christians, we also do this. We take our Father's unconditional love for granted, knowing that He loves us no matter how harsh we are, no matter what stupid things we do, no matter what we say. He is there to forgive us if we genuinely ask for it. I appreciate this, and realize how often I might take His love for granted. Forgive me Father, because I certainly don't want to come across this way- I don't want to BE this way. I want to act like I love you, because I love you. I want to do what makes you happy, because I love you. I simply want to live as if I love you. Thank you, Lord, for your unconditional love, and forgive me for my selfishness. 

I'll end tonight's blog by getting back to family...

Here are some are my favorite quotes about family. Enjoy! :)

"You don't choose your family.  They are God's gift to you, as you are to them."
{Desmond Tutu}

"To us, family means putting your arms around each other and being there."
{Barbara Bush}

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with the family."

{Anthony Brandt}

“One of life's greatest mysteries is how the boy who wasn't good enough to marry your daughter can be the father of the smartest grandchild in the world.”

“A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life.”

“The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.”
{Theodore Hesburgh}

“A father is someone who carries pictures in his wallet where his money used to be.”

“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.”
{Anne Frank}

“Families are about love overcoming emotional torture.”
{Matt Groening}

"Treat your family like friends and your friends like family."