A Lesson Learned: Where's your happy face?

Tommy Lee Jones was in a movie called Human of the House where he was hired as a U.Southward. Marshal to protect a cheerleader. At a football game, a perky cheerleader says to him, "Where's your happ-ay fayce???" (in her most southern drawl). In which to he replies, "This is my happ-ay fayyyyce" (with a sideways scowl on his face).

Why is it that we ever have the obligation to ever look happy?? It certainly makes for pretty pictures. These are the pictures we want hanging on our wall…

This one, non so much….

or this one…

But this is real life, isn't information technology?

Nosotros endeavour and then desperately to make everyone think that we've got it all together. That's function of the reason we demand our children to behave in public…nosotros don't want people to think poorly of us or them.

I once read a sign that said, "As far as anyone knows, nosotros're a nice, normal family."

Do you feel like this sometimes? That you have to evidence to everyone that you're happy, overnice, and normal?

I'm really trying to get amend at this. We have a responsibility toward God and our children to enhance them to honey the Lord. Non to my neighbor, or other moms at the park, or the lady giving me dirty looks at the store considering my kids think it's funny to shout (happy sounds, but still really loud).

So often I feel similar I exert then much energy trying to make them behave in public to go on myself from looking like a permissive parent that I forego focusing on the real effect…their hearts.

If their hearts are in the correct identify, the rest volition follow.

But childishness is going to happen. And before yous start judging someone else for their "wild child" (been there), just know that yous will well-nigh probable be in that same gunkhole someday (sooooooo been there). Kids are wild and crazy sometimes. They have tons of energy (boys particularly) and although they need to learn proper boundaries and behavior in certain situations, they tin't exist expected to act perfectly 100% of the time.

Later all, do you act perfectly all the time? I don't. Just last night I slammed the baby gate against our wooden bannisters because I was upset nearly something. Real mature, I know.

God gives us a way to come up to Him, to focus on our hearts. And it just happens to be our scripture this week (the alphabetic character "C" from our ABC Printable Scripture Cards).

"Create in me a pure center, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." -Psalm 51:ten

God doesn't tell us to ask him to make usa look good. He wants more than than that. He wants pure hearts.

And that's what really matters with our kids too. Your child might have just annoyed you to death running in circles screaming, but in the side by side breath he selflessly shares his toy with his brother. That'due south a thing of the heart that'south worth praising.

We tin can't have pure hearts without God, though. Instead of exerting all our free energy on making ourselves, our children, and our families await "perfect", striving towards having pure hearts through the redeeming love of Jesus should be our main goal!

My talented friend Kristen took many of the family pictures in a higher place. She did an amazing job!

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