Love is Kind

I have to apologize for my prolonged absence. I had to do a little too much juggling in the past few weeks but I’m back now. And I’m making this a priority. We’re now on the next part which is ‘love is kind’.

The act of being kind is described as being generous and considerate. Being kind to someone means that you would not cause any harm to them. You might think that as a parent I would definitely not want to cause any harm to my child because he is my world, my own flesh and blood, the closest person to him and all other sweet and logical statements you can think of.

Well, that works out well the first few hours of his life when he looks like a cute and rather large pink rat or rabbit with shriveled skin. And then the wailing, sleepless hours and poop and pee sprays begin and you just might find yourself changing your mind.

I am not saying that I wanted to cause harm to my son because of all the above and others but it can be really tempting. The urge to let the boy cry for a few more minutes before you pick him up or delaying that diaper change because it’s the 6^th or 7^th one of the day or to even eat his food when he is being fussy can be really great! Ask other parents and they’ll tell you I’m not lying.

It can be really hard to be nice all through even though someone pees on your bed, or worse, on your face somewhere close to your mouth, every time you have a five-minute lull in your day. You however look at the little guy and his cute one-tooth smile and curly mop of hair and you just can’t bring yourself to do anything mean in response. The mean in you just dies! Plus it would be an unfair fight because he really doesn't understand what’s going on.

Kids can tell

There’s this thing that most people don’t realize. A child may not understand your words but they understand your emotions, tone and facial expressions. They know when you are not being nice and they can tell when you don’t really like them. That has an effect on them from the get-go. Look closely at a child who is constantly being shouted at and one who is constantly being praised and I assure you that you will notice a difference. I chose to build my son up instead of tearing him down.

Zip it

That has taught me to zip my mouth when my mind had quite a number of choice words to dish out. Not just to my son but to the rest of the world as well. It’s not easy considering people will cross your path and get under your skin. Others will provoke you on purpose just to see what your reaction will be. Some say I’m not aggressive enough or I should ‘fight back’ but “vengeance is mine, says the Lord”. I like that approach better. And He never disappoints, even though sometimes I would prefer to dish out the vengeance in a particular format!

It has helped me on my Christian walk because I cannot, as a Christian, say nasty words aimlessly. I can’t curse, stay angry or even carry a grudge because my God doesn't like it. It also reflects badly on my Jesus so I’ll stick to it. It has helped me with my deep-seated anger issues and it takes quite an effort to anger me right now.

Kindness is a virtue people and it doesn't cost a thing. Okay, maybe your pride. Being nice to people will actually give you favor with them (eventually and they may not even realize they changed camps) and with God as well. Remember, you reap what you sow.