Last night for Family Home Evening, Ryan chose "Love at Home" for our opening song. Ryan and I often laugh when our kids complain, "Why do we have to sing that one AGAIN?," and then we answer "First learn Lesson One..." because we remember hearing something similar in a talk once. (Does anyone else remember that talk? Was that in Conference? I can't find it.)
Today, I was on my way home from grocery shopping with three kids. Tanner was crying and Whitney was trying to sing to him. She, interestingly enough, chose "Love at Home." Clayton, being a contrary 2 year old, was yelling at her to stop singing. It was then that I realized she couldn't remember the words and was singing, "There is joy in every sound..." over and over. I laughed at the irony.
But then I had to stop and think for a minute. Here I was, in a confined space and exhausted from grocery shopping at two stores with several kids, listening to a crying baby, a screaming toddler, and a singing 5 year old. I wondered if there really was joy in EVERY sound. And if the person who wrote that song was ever in a similar situation. Because if they had been, the lyrics might "There is joy in most sounds..."
Then I thought that I should find joy in every sound. It means that I HAVE kids. That they have the ability to talk and to listen. That they are developing their own little personalities. That I get to be home with them to hear these funny (although sometimes stressful) situations.
When I started thinking of how to find joy in those sounds, it really helped my deteriorating attitude to perk up a bit. Who knew that even I am still working on learning Lesson One?
Isaac’s first football game of the year.
1 year ago
4 comments:
It seems like I remember Sister Beck saying something like that at a leadership training meeting a few years ago.
Thanks for the thought provoking post!
I think the Lesson One comment was from an Auxillary training a few years back, a round table discussion if I remember. But I could be wrong.
Many a times I've said that Family Home Evening is proof God has a sense of humor. Because it's mostly a circus at our house. But then again, most family gatherings are.
What a cool thought!! I love reading your blog posts - if nothing else, they give me motivation to try and find joy in the screaming sounds of Lithuanian children :)
P.S. You're going to have to update the pictures of your kids! Where's Tanner? Did he not make the cut? :)
Thank you!!! My kids have been behaving abnormally awful the last couple of days (including 1 shopping trip) so I completely understand the situation you were in and you handled it so much better than I have. Thanks you for your insights. I'm feeling perked back up and ready to face my kids again. :)
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