"Chill-ax!"

Psalm 40:2 I desire to do your will, o my God, your law is within my heart. My kids think I'm too uptight sometimes. They think I fly off the handle about stuff, that isn't worth flying off the handle about. Like...me telling them to clean up their room for the thousandth time. Or...to stop arguing and threatening one another 24 hours a day. Then there are those times when they tell me..."Stop yelling Mom. Geez...why are you yelling?" In all honesty...that just makes me want to yell more! Or even when...I am rushing them out the door because we are always late or right on time. I personally wish I could get somewhere in my lifetime at least five to ten minutes early. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK?! I mean come on...they all arrived at least two weeks earlier or longer, before their due date...oh, but now...they want to be late! It literally makes me want to just jump in the car and leave them. That'll teach em'!..........Who am I kidding? I would feel too guilty and not even make it down the end of the driveway, before taking the shift out of reverse, and putting it in drive to go back to get them. (I'm so weak.) They are constantly telling me to "Chill-ax Mom!" Really? And how do they expect me to do that? How?! I ask. How?! Do they even know what they are saying...chill-ax? So...I decided to look this word up and see what they are trying to tell me. WEBSTER'S DEFINITIONS: Chill-slang for calm down Relax-to ease tension or stress, to be or make less stringent or intense MY KIDS' APPARENT DEFINITION: "Chill-ax"-CALM DOWN AND DON'T BE SO STRESSED AND INTENSE! GEEZ! I really don't want to be so frazzled all the time. I really wish I could "chill-ax" every once in a while. But, does that mean they get the best of me? That they win. It's a battle, and sometimes I don't know who the good guy is or who the bad guy is. I guess I could "chill-ax" a little. I guess it wouldn't hurt. I really don't like being a mom who yells. I feel guilty afterwards and find myself at times, shamelessly asking for repentance. I've even tried to talk myself into "chill-axing" a little. It works...for a little while.

I wonder if Mary ever yelled at Jesus? Or if Noah's wife yelled at all of their children? Was David's mother a yeller too? Did they allow themselves to get frazzled like I do? Did their kids ever tell them to chill-ax a little. "Just chill-ax Mom...I'll tend to the sheep later. Geez!" That would make me feel a little better if they did. I mean this was God himself and two of the strongest men in the Bible and their kids. If they were yelled at a little by their mothers, and turned out as well as they did...maybe there is hope that I am not damaging my kids by yelling too much sometimes...okay alot.

So...maybe they are right. (Don't tell them I said that. That could set me up for trouble later. LOL ) Maybe I need to chill-ax. Maybe they know more about patience than I do. (Don't tell them I said that either.) I could use a little less stress. I do tend to get too intense sometimes. I don't mean to...it just happens. There's that patience lesson again. Patience. It keeps coming back to bite me in the rear end. I'm working on it...day by day. As they say...the first step to fixing a problem is to admit that you have a problem...right?

Dear God...I am honored to have the privelege to raise these children that You have blessed me with. Help me to have patience and speak softly to them. Give me words of wisdom as I discipline them. Continue to help me teach them of Your love and grace in their lives. Reveal Yourself to them in a new way each day. Mold them in Your hands Lord. To You I give all the Glory and Praise for their lives. In Jesus' name...Amen. Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise. Proverbs 29:17 Discipline your son, and he will give you peace; he will bring delight to your soul.

Proverbs 24:3-4 Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.