Little Reflections

"A true mother is not merely a provider, housekeeper, comforter or companion. A true mother is primarily and essentially a trainer." - Ruth Graham

Definition of REFLECTION:
1. the act of reflecting or the state of being reflected.
2. an image; representation; counterpart.
3. a fixing of the thoughts on something; careful consideration.
4. a thought occurring in consideration or meditation.

We are being reflected. We are training. Daily our children look at our life and with very little words said, they are soaking in our take on life and will reflect it without even being told to. They watch. They learn. They love others how we love others. They forgive how we forgive. They speak the way we speak. They show respect how we show respect. Their heart to serve others will reflect the depth of our heart to serve others. They listen and watch, waiting to see how we handle that stressful situation that came up unexpectedly. What a scary thought, huh?!

Whether I want to admit it or not, I am the touchable tangible "image" my children see of Jesus. I reflect who He is through my life. Our family has seen good things reflected in our children and some not so good. One moment, shockingly, I will cherish forever is when I was in a car accident with my boys. I was on my way to Bible study and totally caught off guard as we were hit. Afterward I began crying and said nothing to my sons in the back seat as the other driver tried to blame the accident on me. My son, Jack Jack, who is two, began praying for me. And although the only words I could recognize were dear Jesus and amen at the end, I was so blown away that he knew we needed to pray. I was so thankful the Lord encouraged me right there that he "gets it" and has learned the importance of stopping to pray.

Other times the Lord will use our children to show us the areas we are teaching them, yet still struggle with ourselves. One night my husband had some delicious food and my son, James, asked, "Daddy can I have a a bite?" My husband replied that he had his own plate and to finish his first. My son then began singing a verse we had learned, Luke 10:27, which states, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." He then asked my husband why he wasn't loving "his neighbor." We all laughed but there was some truth there. The Lord uses our kids to stretch us and remind us of truth. Frequently they reflect back to us the honest, loving reminders from our heavenly Father of what He wants us to look like. Gotta love that!

I shared with a friend today my frustration over how I want to be a woman of my word who my husband and children have full confidence in (Proverbs 31:11), but feel I am failing miserably in that area. I need to let my yes be yes and my no be no (James 5:12). I need to be slow to speak (James 1:19) before committing to something. As I vented I realized that the Lord was teaching me a valuable lesson. If I am not a woman of my word, then my kids will not keep their commitments either. They too will reflect that character flaw, or sin, unless I confess and make a change now. I am realizing it's OK to say no to some things. I need to pray before committing to an activity so flippantly without thinking it through. So often I want to please everyone that the last person being pleased is the ONE I should be seeking first.

If my heart's desire is to reflect Christ then spending time with Him needs to be priority. It will most likely require some sacrifice and denying of self. Maybe sleep, internet time, TV show, ect. But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifice. I once heard a mom share a beautiful devotion on the subject of spending time with Jesus. She shared about how busy our schedules can be and gave a great suggestion of having a Bible or devotional placed in each room throughout your house and possibly your car too. She reminded us of the importance of taking a 5 minute break to meet with Jesus and what an amazing impact it can have on your perspective for the day. At the stop light or even in the car line, break out the Bible and let His reflection of warmth and beauty radiate in your life. Your children will definitely reflect it too if we will seek His face daily (Psalm 105:4).


Here are a few "reflections" I found about Ruth Graham that I thought you would enjoy.

"It was far from easy. But she had a tender and yielded heart. Her happiness and fulfillment did not depend on her circumstances. She was a lovely, beautiful and wise woman because early in life, she made Christ her home, her purpose, her center, her confidant and her vision." - Ruth Graham's daughter Ruth


"When I would go down to her room late at night, I would see the light on underneath the door and I'd go in, and she would be on her knees in prayer."


"I believe that our heavenly Father, our Savior, saved my mother from loneliness because of her daily walk with the Lord Jesus, He was the love of her life. I saw that in her life. It was her love for the Lord Jesus, with whom she walks every day, that made me want to love Him and walk with Him like that."
- Anne Graham Lotz


Ann Graham Lotz also wrote this statement on the death of her mother: "My mother's legacy in my life runs very deep ... and wide. When I think of my mother, I think of her sparkling eyes — she just loved life. She was full of fun, opinions, and a zest for living that was evident until her last breath ... her arms always outstretched to welcome me into her presence with unconditional love."



As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person.
-Proverbs 27:19

What are you hoping to reflect onto your kids?



What are some good things you have already reflected?



What are some "not so good" things you have reflected onto your kids? Ask them for forgiveness (like Courtney mentioned) and let them see you are not perfect. Ask Him to give you the boldness if your pride gets in the way.



This week identify ONE
(a) character trait that needs to change in your life, so it won't become something your children reflect as well. Pray and ask someone to hold you accountable to working on this.
(b) trait of Jesus that IS being reflected in your home and THANK God for it!




Jesus, we thank you for who you are. We thank you for your faithfulness in our life and what joy that brings to our family. You are such a great parent to us, continually reflecting goodness and mercy along with unconditional love. Lord, let us seek your face daily so we can reflect true beauty to our children. -Amen

Above quotes from
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2007/06/ruths_children.html
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,284413,00.html#ixzz1cPbzzTk