Wisdom

The Mercer boys are great boys. Funny, intelligent, creative, active and thoughtful. Some days, though, all of those qualities combine to create rambunctious, argumentative, obnoxious little beasts that find pleasure in instigating each other and driving me to behave in ways I am not proud of (*insert an image of a screaming banshee here*)

Today was one of those days :o/  

Luckily I have just finished an awesome book and I was able to return to a few heavily highlighted and ear marked pages to put my day into perspective. The book is Growing Grateful Kids by Susie Larson.



This is what stood out for me today:
Page 95
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
    "We need wisdom because every child is different; there is no one-size-fits-all parenting manual. What works for one child may wreck another. And just because we know our child better than anyone else, doesn't mean we know how to parent him or her better than anyone else. We need insight and direction, and we need to be humble enough to ask for it."

Page 97
"Without wisdom, we will not only parent by reaction to our circumstances, we will also parent through the filter of our own hang-ups...Unless we earnestly press the Lord for wisdom for our broken areas, we will parent in reaction to our fears and insecurities rather than in response to the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us."

And one of the things I like best about this book is the author ends each chapter with a prayer. This prayer ends the chapter "ask for wisdom" and it is one I find I repeat often.

Precious Lord,
Your Word calls me to ask for wisdom, and so I aks: Please, Lord, fill me to overflowing with insights from above; grant me a perspective that can only come from You. Help me to stay in step with You in such a way that Your voice is easy for my to recognize. Heal me from the effects of my past; give me a strong sense of Your heart for my children, and help me to raise them up to be everything You intend them to be. Amen.