July 23, 2017
Summer Sundays-Sunshine for the Soul
Praise Perfect Moments-Part Two
“The LORD has told you what is good. He has told you what He wants from you: Do what is right to other people. Love being kind to others. And live humbly, trusting your God.” Micah 6:8 ICB
Over thirty years ago Robert Fulghum wrote the book entitled, All I Really Need to Know I learned in Kindergarten, and it was a phenomenal success. When it was first published, Billy and I were in the midst of rearing our two children, and somehow, I missed reading the book. However, I was familiar with the title because I remember thinking to myself at the time, “Well that explains some of my really stupid decisions, because I did not attend kindergarten! I must have missed out on the really important stuff!”
Having missed out on what must have been a crucial year, I remember a few things about my very first year in school, a private
Jewish school in Corpus Christi, Texas. First, their mornings began with songs I did not know…where in the world was Jesus Loves Me? Weeks into school, I managed to bite a kid on the back-and he still called me friend! Weeks later, I chased another kiddo during recess, tackled him to the ground, pulled off his boot, and hurled it over the fence, with a little help from my friends. Those friends and I were assigned to the school steps, missing recess for one week. A few weeks later, I attempted to swipe a student’s eraser when it tumbled to the floor under my desk. Clearly I needed socialization…perhaps, something a little more extreme! Hmmmmm, now that I think about it, I wonder if my record proceeded me?
Obviously, I should have gone to kindergarten where I would have learned everything I needed to know! Honestly, I still have had a lot of catching up to do…So now, I watch my grands…I watch, and I learn from them. One granddaughter has completed kindergarten, two more will begin kindergarten in August, two will attend pre-school, and one will stay at home! My precious ones have begun the journey of learning all they need to know. And, I do hope to make some major progress this year as I pay careful attention to their examples. Perhaps, together, we can learn some very important life lessons!
The LORD has told you what is good. He has told you what He wants from you:
Our Almighty God is quite specific and clear how He wants His people, His children to live and to treat one another. To do what is right to other people…to be fair and just…to love kindness and mercy, not vindication…to forgive and to extend the same grace which we desire for ourselves…to live in and to walk in humility…to walk and talk modestly, without pretention, respecting and giving honor to others.
I watch, I listen and I smile…I hear the struggle as my beautiful grands work to choose their words, to control their voices and their tears of disdain, as they wrestle, wrestle to demonstrate kindness and mercy in difficult moments, many times to their own siblings. I watch as they respond to correction in multiple ways…but, they are learning, and so am I. They are reminded that they must share the spotlight, the platform, and the stage and are learning how to make room there for everyone! They are learning and so am I.
And, these valuable lessons translate into my own life as I am reminded how Almighty God wants His people to live…how He wants me to live…I am reminded that there is never enough fairness or too much love, there is never too much justice, too much kindness, too much mercy, too much forgiveness, too much grace, too much humility, or too much respect.
As I look back, I began learning lessons from my own children as we led and loved them, but I was busy, too busy… Perhaps, I am a much better student now… Perhaps I am more willing to let go and to appreciate simplicity. And, I am learning something else, something very important…How to live and love more humbly, how to trust my God more, how to Praise Him more…
“You have taught children and babies to sing praises to you…” Psalm 8:2
My friends, whether we are moms or a grands, we can watch our precious ones as they dance and sing to their Praise music…Hands and Hearts lifted up to their Mighty God!
We can listen to their bedtime prayers…to their sweet voices, their mispronunciation of the big words which have filled their days…
We can listen to their thank you’s and praise for their day, for their parents, their siblings, their friends, their teachers, their bunny, their lost kitty who returned home, their dinosaur, their birthday cupcakes and ice-cream…we can listen to them count their blessings…
We can listen to their innocent and pure faith as they ask God for His help for the healing of their boo-boos and everyone else’s…for protection from the Big Bad Wolf…for their daddy’s work and jobs…for their Mommy to feel better…for them to have sweet dreams and good sleep…
Then, we can watch as their little bodies, eventually, hopefully… relax into trust and peace-filled rest…
And, sometimes we have to, we get to begin the bed-time routine all over…try again…try again…And there are those lessons again…in patience…in the counting of blessings…and the gift of life.
You see, I am learning to turn up the music…I am learning to hum a song of praise as I go through the aisles of the grocery store, even if people snicker behind my back…I am learning to sing praise as I push the trash-can up our long driveway on Tuesday mornings…I am learning to be much quicker to forgive…I am learning that the light of blessings which God has given me far surpasses any darkness or trouble in my day. I am learning that perfection rests with and in God alone…
Our Heavenly Father teaches children how to lift up their hearts and their hands; He teaches them to march and to sing His praises. And, it comes from the very depth of their souls, with no distraction, no inhibition, just authentic, beauty-filled, joy-filled love. You see, they have not forgotten how to praise, or how to walk in kindness, in goodness, in mercy. They have not forgotten how to laugh, how to love, because these lessons are fresh on their minds, and they are learning…they are practicing…Oh that’s right, so are we!
This Summer Sunday, may we watch and listen to our children and our grands, may we be kind, gentle, just, and gracious to all the people in our lives who are still learning and practicing…May we learn to live with uninhibited enthusiasm toward our God, and moments which are Sunshine for our Souls. Oh, and one more thing, whether you went to kindergarten or not, I suspect we could all use a refresher course in celebrating Praise-Perfect Moments!
Summer Joy and blessings,
