I see other children and wonder "why can't my kids behave like that?" I see other couples and think "why can't my husband act like that?" Do you know what a "perfect" family looks like? The kind that all smiles and looks at the camera in photographs. The kind of family where everyone cooperates just getting in the pictures. The kind who's kids say yes ma'am, and sit quietly at the dinner table while saying grace before dinner. The kind of family that goes to Church and sits quietly in the pew, waiting for service to start. The kind where the dad walks around providing protection and money for his family without even a second thought. The kind of dad that only has to look at his children and they straighten up immediatley.
Why can't my family be like that?
Our dinners are loud. Food usually gets smeared across our dining room table and the kids aren't exactly quiet or even want to learn how to give thanks for our food. We walk in our Church and my kids take off doing laps around the Sanctuary. They scream and giggle and make messes. Thank you Jesus for a Church family who loves us so much that they play with my kids in their wildness. We have our family photos taken and my kids get scared of the photographer because they don't know her and it takes every bit of bribing and coaxing and promises of ice cream and cake to get them to even look at the camera. My husband does the best he can and with God's help he's getting better but we are a work in progress.
We are not a perfect family.
We are messy
We are loud.
We argue
But we LOVE. We love each other and our friends unconditionally. We know we aren't perfect. And I'm learning not to even try to look perfect. Perfection is my enemy, sometimes it's a battle. Sometimes I just want us to be the perfect family. But we love and perfection doesn't exist. We will never be perfect. But we will always have love.
This is the family God gave me, He whispers to me "be greatful" "I have given you this family for a reason" "Let Me and My strength be perfect in your weakness". Do you wish your family was "perfect"? Today praise God for the family He gave you. For the trials He gave you. Those trials are blessings in disquise to keep you close to Him.
What a great post, Mandy! I used to think the same kinds of things when my kids were little. Once in a while, though, someone would compliment the behavior or my kids and that made all the craziness worthwhile. After all, the craziness was mine! And you are correct...there is NO perfect family! We are all a work in progress. I have seen such great strides in your family. God is truly blessing you all!
ReplyDeleteI remember when Lylea was only a baby and we would see children misbehaving in public, I would always say, my child will NEVER act like that. I had to eat my words only a few years later when she threw herself on the floor kicking and screaming in blockbuster because we wouldn't let her get a movie she already had at home. :) My family is not perfect, far from it in fact. But God gave me this family and I am so very blessed. GReat post Mandy!
ReplyDeleteThere is no such thing as a perfect family, is there? I am thankful for the family that God has given me. I
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