Compliments

Have you ever been out with your kids when one of them melted down with no warning?  I mean crying...whining, complaining, whatever it might be, we've all been there, what do we do?  Do we ignore the behavior, deal with the behavior or just continue on our way?

Have you ever been embarrassed by something your child said or did, with no fault of their own, but in their own baby/toddler way they did something or said something that was not quite appropriate?  Do you apologize to the people around you?  Correct your child, or just laugh?

Well, children have a way of just being themselves.  Everything is new and interesting and let's face it they get away with a lot since they have a lot of cuteness going on.  But there are also times when our kids do things that make us so incredibly proud!  It could be they had a really good nap, or a really good day, they were in a really good mood, or they were just being themselves, but regardless we want to take all the credit because after all we have been raising them, we spent 7-8 hours in the delivery room in labor with them, we carried them around for 9 months, you get my drift? 

It's been one of those Good Weeks for us over here in Mac World.  On Monday we went to a Korean restaurant for dinner to celebrate our anniversary.  We go to this place ever so often and both our kids love the food and the people, and we have tons of visitors stopping by and saying hi to us and Julia and Mark, I guess we are considered "regulars" even though we only go maybe once every few months.

Anyway, our waiter and the owner of the restaurant stopped by a few times to tell us how amazed they were at how well our kids were eating (our kids love the food there and we get tons of different varieties in little bowls to choose from with our chopped sticks...John and I love Asian cuisine..John thinks he is Asian)  They also couldn't get over the fact that our children each sit in their own chair and totally feed themselves (since my kids are 17 months apart I taught Julia at a very very young age to feed herself since I knew with Mark on the way she would have to do it for herself, I would say by 15 months she was using silverware on her own, and mark even younger).

Today, we went to an Ann Wild singing class at the library.  Ann Wild is amazing with children, she sings songs, brings her guitar, musical instruments and scarves, and limbo rope and parachute and for an hour the kids are singing and dancing and having a blast.  It was a program you had to sign up for at the Matawan public library.  We liked it so much the first time that we signed up again.  Well today she pulled me aside during one of the songs when the kids had drums and were busy and said, "I just want to tell you that your children are the sweetest things, whatever you are doing, keep doing it!  You are doing something very right!"  Whoa!  Then at the end of the class another mom pulled me aside and basically said the same thing.  It's moments like these when I DO NOT pat myself on the back.  Instead I thank God that my kids had a good day, that we were able to be " a little light" to the outside world, and recognize that all the glory goes to Him.  Trust me we have other days when Julia is over dramatic and cries at the drop of the hat, or days when Mark doesn't want to share, or moments when Mommy wants to have melt down (okay, and sometimes I do!)  But the days when things go well, and we get compliments, those are the days we can use to remind ourselves during the rough days that tomorrow is a new day, that there is always hope, and that if we continue to be faithful in raising our children in a godly manner, seeking to honor the Lord, and seeking to do our best, that truly He gives us the strength to do so!

So here is my little challenge for you this weekend, the next time you are in a store, or at the library or on the playground with your own children and you see a mom with kids and you notice something special or unique don't just keep it to yourself, say something!  Be encouraging!  Give a compliment.  A compliment goes such a long way, and it really makes someone's day.  Be sweet and be sincere.  You will be amazed at how your words can brighten someone's face and give them hope and encouragement to finish their day strong.

Moms need compliments and we need to stick together and build each other up! 

Proverbs 16: 24

Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.