Some more than others.
Aaron's hair is significantly more red than the girls'. Norah and Ashley have the fairest skin of all. And Lydia is our red-headed feisty one. (Also known as pure stubbornness.)
During moments of frustration with my kids (mine and theirs), I have been known to refer my kids' tempers and tempests as evidence of their passion. A much nicer word than orneriness or strong-willed!
When Lydia digs in her heels and absolutely, hands-down, I-won't-be-swayed refuses to walk her own little self up the stairs to nap-time, she is sharing a bit of her I Do It My Way Passion.
When Ashley mothers the other kids, reminding them to not bring toys to the table, to wash their hands with soap and to not snitch any chips, she is revealing her I Want You to Listen to Me Passion.
When Norah juts out her chin, squints her eyes and looks away after being corrected for something, she is standing firm on her I Don't Want You to Be the Boss of Me Passion.
When Aaron retells with intricate detail the last Speed Racer game he enjoyed while half-heartedly putting away dishes, he is disclosing his I Want to Do What I Want to Do Passion.
As much as it all makes my head hurt, there is a smidgen of comfort in all this.
It's tough to remember when I'm in the midst of a "red-headed" interaction with my kids, but if they are this strong and passionate about these little bits of life, I can hope and trust that they will be equally passionate and strong in other areas down the road.
Resisting drugs. Sex. Peer pressure.
And ...
Loyalty to friends. School. Work.
And ...
Embracing truth. Justice. Faith.
I pray that their passion for being too big for a nap, their passion for being the bossy-pants, their passion for being too grown up for a correction and their passion for playing and re-playing will prepare them to follow equally passionately after God.
"Lord, please instill in my children a soul
that 'followeth hard after thee'
- one that clings passionately to You."
Psalm 63:8
Visiting you from SITS! Raising kids these days is never easy, but you have to have FAITH to make it through! Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteI love your red heads! Love the analogy of passion with red headness. Yes, I hope our little ones put that same passion into their relationship with the Lord.
ReplyDeleteThank you for always being supportive of my blog, reading the ramblings and commenting so kindly. I really appreciate it!