Put the Kitten Down....

This is one of those posts where you can really see my personality.  I am soooo over the top silly sometimes and I say goofy things just for a laugh.  I hope you know I would never harm a kitten.  I'm just saying this because I was trying to think of the most sweet, loving, furry, cuddly thing I could think of. 

So often I get busy with life and the day to day activities that come from being a mom to three, blogger, coupon class teacher, helping to run a funeral home, teaching a women's Sunday school class, Awana leader, nursery worker, children's church teacher, soloist, wife, daughter, friend and everything else you can imagine that sometimes I forget about the grace that supposed to be in my home.  (just to name a few of the things I've been doing).  When we get so tired and so busy, it's easy to be frustrated at our children and husbands, even when they really haven't done anything. 

Just last week I reported to a friend of mine that I was in such a foul mood that I could have ripped a kitten's head off.  Now seriously, I was teasing.  I do not support the harming of any animals, I was just exaggerating and being over the top about my bad mood.  But it was pretty bad.  I was busy doing 4,000 other things that I neglected to stop and pray and ask God for Him to help me through the day.  Instead, I grumbled for a good 24 hours. 

Then, I sat down to read for a few minutes.  I really never get to read and never take the time to do it.  A few weeks ago I ordered a few books and got some really good ones.  On this particular day (the day of the poor kitten), I picked up the book The Most Important Place on Earth: What a Christian Home Looks Like and How to Build One.  It's a good thing I picked up this book when I did because who knows how much longer I would have gone on in my own misery that I was sharing with others.

This book is all about why our homes should be THE Most Important Place on Earth and why and how they should be DIFFERENT than other homes!

So, I picked up the book and here's what I read.  The Most Important Place on Earth is your home!  The author says, "Every home, regardless of what's going on inside, might as well have this over the front door (The Most Important Place on Earth).  For the children who live in these homes, it's a fact, good or bad: it is the most important place on earth.  Sit down over a cup of coffee with any family therapist in the country and usually he will tell you that, for a kid, it's at home - whatever it looks like - where everything in life makes up its mind. 

He then talks about why we need to have Christian homes.

In a Christian home there something special.  It's called grace.  In a grace-filled Christian home, there is salvation.  There is forgiveness.  There is hope.  Genuine happiness.  Purpose.  This kind of grace affects everything that goes on inside this home.

Uggg....at this point, I had to ever so nicely put the kitten's head back on and walk away from my GrouchFest! 

Grace?  Love?  Was I showing any of this?  No!  Absolutely not!  I know, it's hard.  I'm not saying there aren't days when it's easy to be grouchy, but instead of allowing myself to get more and more grouchy, I should have stopped and asked God for help.  I should have been showing my children love and grace. 

I don't know about you.  Maybe today is one of those days where you just want to scream at everyone and everything.  Just stop what you're doing and ask God for help.  Tell Him you need Him so you can show grace and love to your family. 

Remember that our homes should be homes of grace, love, forgiveness and happiness.  Does your home today feel like the Most Important Place on Earth?  Do you realize that everything that goes on in your home is shaping the rest of your children's lives? 

Do what I had to do, put the kitten down (remember- I don't really have one, I'm just teasing) and put on a happy face.  Ask God to remind you of His perfect grace and love and help you build a home of grace!