I thought I’d share some encouragement (I need the encouragement as well!)

When disputes arise in our homes, sometimes being a peacemaker is hard. It is work. It is an action.

I wish that the actual PROCESS of making peace was always ‘peaceful’. While at times of course it can be a peaceful process, it’s not always this way.

It can be quite discouraging as parents when our children are struggling with anger, or perhaps we are….or both. Perhaps siblings are arguing with each other. Perhaps your children are being disrespectful. It can be very tough navigating through these storms!

Sometimes the obvious, easiest way out is to take a short-cut out of the storm. Easy feels good doesn’t it? You immediately get ‘satisfaction’ from the quick ‘escape’. In our culture we are fixated on immediate satisfaction; because it is so easy in this technological age to get what we want when we want it, fast.

Therefore, when faced with conflict in our home, we may often be tempted to give in to a quick fix, a quick spoken statement, to silence the noise of the dispute. The conflict then ends…or does it?

The problem with this fast-paced exit, is that repentance, forgiveness and restoration have most likely not occurred. It takes time to sit down with your children & to listen to their perspective of what happened. It takes even more time for us to encourage them to share more when needed, to listen to their siblings and to listen to us! It takes so much patience.

I have selfishly pushed for fast escapes and have also participated in the long discussions. The ‘family discussions’ are worth the effort. Take time to listen. If you need a few minutes to pray and be more calm before the discussion, then do

I write this not from any place of expertise – no, not at all….but from simply being a mother, learning along my imperfect journey. May we all encourage one another (mothers encouraging mothers – & – mothers encouraging their children to share, to see their sibling’s perspective, to forgive and more.)

May we take the time to be peacemakers, keeping our eye on the harvest and persevering on our journey!