One week after having a particularly challenging time with my toddlers I felt somewhat helpless, and frustrated they weren't behaving the way they were supposed to. Or at least the way I thought they were supposed to. At the end of these challenging days I also felt disappointed in myself. I felt that I wasn't as patient as I should have been when they spread shaving cream all over their rooms, or got a little too frustrated when they spilled water from my toilet all over my bathroom, or just got frustrated at them for doing things that kids are inevitably going to do. When I feel that way, frustrated and helpless, one obvious choice is to turn to prayer. As I plead with my Heavenly Father to help me raise my children in a way that could make us all happy, the answer consistently came to just love them. Just as Jesus and Heavenly father do.
As I try to apply this principal in my life I am strengthing my testimony that it is true. When my two little ones put my patience to the test, if I can react with a feeling of love rather than impatience, anger, or frustration, those times turn into great building and teaching moments. I feel like I can react in a way that will be productive and helpful rather than discouraging. The line “there is beauty all around when there's love at home,” often runs through my head during the day. When I treat each challenging situation with love my home is a beautiful place filled with the spirit. There are still many moments of screaming, fighting, tantrums and big “uh oh” disasters, but the spirit in the house, and the spirit I feel inside me remains when I make the choice to act out of love.
I know that each of our houses can be a place filled with the spirit, a place filled with beauty when we make a conscious choice to act with love to build a better relationship with the people we love. There is beauty all around when there's love at home. (Hymn "Love at Home" Pg 294)
Love,
Chelsea
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