Give them Grace

 I CANNOT wait until this book comes out! Yesterday I was reminded of how important it is to give Inara grace. Yes, I want to discipline her and teach her to obey Justin and I, but we also need to give her grace. Yesterday was a rough day for being a mommy in the Duke home. Inara had been in the house since the previous Thursday essentially without any outings and was getting a little stir crazy. Now I am not saying I need to take Inara all over the city, but 5 days without leaving her room, living room, or kitchen would make me a little crazy too! She was just very whiny, discontent, and even cried! I know it sounds funny, but Inara typically is a very happy baby, I can't remember the last time she cried for not getting her way.

So anyway...grace. At lunch she was being very whiny and picky and just generally unpleasant to be around. I tried a few different foods and was just finally like "Nope, this is what you are eating and you are just going to have to deal with it"...not very kind. I immediately felt convicted. Yesterday was a rough day for her...out of the usual. I felt I needed to give her grace since she was having such a hard time. I took a deep breath, asked her to look at mom, and said in a sweet voice "Inara, mom loves you I am trying to help you eat. Please eat what we have here. I am trying to be nice to you, you need to be nice to me and eat some lunch". I wasn't expecting anything spectacular but I knew my heart wasn't right. But why wasn't I expecting spectacular. Isn't the grace God gives us AMAZING?! So isn't that same grace we give others just as amazing? Well turns out something spectacular DID happen! She ate her lunch! I know it seems such a small thing, but that's what life is. Seeing God's grace in small things in life. So needless to say, I think this book will really help me parent in a way that brings God glory and life to Inara.

Tuesdays and Fridays I watch my friends daughter. God is using those days to teach me patience, mercy, and grace.  Not because her baby is bad or because Inara is bad, but because I AM BAD! I want things to go my way, and lets face it with a 14 month old and a 5 month old, not very much goes the way I want it to. Which is ok. NO, they aren't ruling the house or demanding me to do certain things, but its difficult sometimes to do other things besides, change diapers, play with babies, or feed babies. I am learning (slowly, and with the help of my great hubs) that this is ok.

For example, yesterday (like I said before) was a little crazy. So not only could I not do any cleaning, I barely could clean up the mess I made from breakfast/lunch. AND THAT IS OK. ITS OK....ITS OK. I have to practice telling my self that because often I don't believe it. But Justin is so wonderful to me. Yesterday I felt bad he had to come home to a trashed kitchen. I told him, I felt bad that he works hard all day and has to come home to a messy house. He reminded me that I work hard all day too :) *sigh* Its true, this IS my job. This is my joy and delight as well. But this is my job. To be at home taking care of our little babe, and serving my friend. I am SOOO thankful for a husband who sees the value/work of what it means to be a SAHM. NO-its not just cleaning the kitchen, doing laundry, making dinner. Hopefully my job invloves that, but my job is to be an example of Christ to Inara. Being preoccupied with "stuff" doesn't set a good example for her. Yes those duties have to be done, but they are not the goal of my day. What is the goal of my day? I would say pleasing God with my time and my thoughts/actions toward Inara. Sometimes that involved the dishes and sometimes it doesn't....and that's ok :)