Wake-up Call

Photo by Ksugirl126

Today at the pool I was watching some of the kids play in the water while an older girl fumbled around in her mother's pool bag aimlessly for minutes on end only to end up empty handed.  It was evident that she didn't fit in the with the other kids, played either by herself or spent most of the time with the adults present but not engaged in conversation or activity like the other kids her age.  It seemed as though her mother was annoyed by her mere presence and though the girl didn't seem to notice, I can't help but wonder if deep inside she sensed the annoyance that her mother wore all over her face and with her body language.

I sat for a while and pondered how I react and respond to my children when they are on my last nerve.  I know that at times I can be short tempered and don't always remember to hold my tongue...and then I wonder why my children respond in the same manner to each other.  How can I expect them to respond to each other in a Godly manner when I don't always model for them love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control, and gentleness?  I guess that means I'm not always filled with those things and I should be. 

So for a while I plan to spend time really trying to figure out what is causing me to not always be so "fruitful" and I need to weed those things out.  In that process, I hope that I am able to start living out the fruit the God intends for me and to share with my kids so they can start to grow and tend their own fruit.