In an odd space of time, between an early exit from the classroom and a canceled/rescheduled flight, while in a quiet house with two lazy dogs, I find myself finishing dishes and making connections in my head and heart. A light bulb went off in my brain while cleaning a large cooking pot which soaked overnight. Our chili dinner was left unattended while on a rolling boil and meaty goodness attached itself to the bottom with Superglue force. Everyone knows to let such a dish nightmare soak for an unspecified length of time. Believe it or not, this quiet household chore reminded me of one of my biggest weaknesses as a mother and some life giving advice my husband has been trying to share with me in the recent weeks.
When you're married to a preacher, one of the hazards can be that typical marriage and parenting discussions turn into mini three-point-sermons with all the wisdom of scripture included. To be clear, these gospel driven messages are not harsh or judgmental. NO! They are carefully crafted, gentle and loving remarks. So, what's a pastor's wife to do? Sometimes the hearing of it sounds more like a foreign language or the babble-speak from a baby. My ears go deaf and my eyes glaze over with a "make it stop" expression! The intent from the pastor is to help, yet the take home is often lost much like the wandering mind of a congregant during the Sunday service.
When you have a tough job in a stock pot, you don't attack it with all of your force in an effort to clean the caked on remains by effort and strength. You let it settle, loosen and soak for a gentler and more effective cleaning. As a mother, I address nearly every child raising struggle/issue with the force it would take to clean that pot right after clearing the table from the chili dinner. Maybe Kyle's wise and choice words are pointing me to a more effective method of leading the girls which includes patient waiting, a softened heart (on both sides of the issue) and God glorifying peace. This brief moment in the kitchen was both rare and peaceful. There was no intensity required or aggravation involved. Maybe our next parental conversation should simply be, "Mommy, just let it soak!"
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