kind words

“Girls! Stop!”

“Be nice to one another.”

“Don’t hit your sister.”

“Apologize.”

“We don’t call each other names.”

I was at the end of my rope. Hanging on by a thread, and I was done. Done being a referee, done being a judge, done feeling frustrated.

God, help me with these children. I feel like I’m failing, and I just want them to get along.

It was a sincere prayer wrapped in a bit of selfishness. I just want them to love one another in word and deed. They can do it at school, why can’t they do it at home? Why is it so hard?

“Kind words are like honey – sweet to the soul and healthy to the body.” Proverbs 16:24

Wisdom from God’s word washed over my soul and convicted it to the core. I quickly realized I spend most of my time telling my children what they’re doing wrong rather than reminding them of all they do that is good.  And truth be told, when the good is hardly mentioned, we can forget it exists at all.

If things were going to change at home, it had to start with me.

We sat down for dinner that night and I gave them a new assignment before we prayed.

“I want you two to look at one another and each say one thing you love or appreciate the other.”

                “I love when you play with me,” the big one was the first speak up.

                “I love when you play with me and snuggle me,” the little one responded.

                “Mommy, Daddy – it’s your turn. What do you love about one another?”

They still argue. We all take turns getting frustrated with one another, and I have a feeling that will be the case the rest of our lives. After all, we’re a bunch of hardheaded sinners who are making it by the grace of God over here.

But every night now, we sit down for dinner and we know that no matter what happened during the day, no matter how badly we behaved or how short tempered we were, we are loved. We are appreciated. And we all need to be reminded of that – every day.

It is sweet to the soul to hear kind words. Healthy to the body to be built up.

Your words are like honey, my friend. Possessing the power to heal and to satisfy.

Speak kind words well, and speak them often.