On Faith and Family: Eat your words
– Everyone needs something to look forward to. For us, it’s Friday night takeout. I think it goes without saying that when you’ve got a shot at takeout, you don’t mess around. After all, one night a week without food prep, messes or dishes? It’s like wrestling with whether or not to cut the red wire or the blue. One wrong move, one bad decision and everyone’s weekend hopes and dreams will be crushed. It’s so, much, pressure.
Anyway, after a half hour of back and forth ideas between my hubby and I, not to mention lots and lots of shout outs from our toddlers requesting gummy worms and ice cream, I finally came up with the idea to grab one of the kids’ trick or treat buckets and fill it with strips of paper reflecting our ideas.
Not realizing my son was unfamiliar with this decision making tradition, I mixed all the ideas around in the bucket and urged our little guy to pull out a paper. I explained to him that, “whatever you pull out will be what we will have for dinner.”
After a few seconds of happily feeling around in the bucket, our son pulled out a piece of paper and began to cry. My husband and I were perplexed. “What’s wrong son?” I asked.
“I pulled out paper from the bucket. I don’t wanna eat paper for dinner!” he sobbed.
Oh boy. I guess I should have explained that one a little better!
Have you ever wondered how much of our arguments, disputes and hurt feelings could be the result of miscommunication? Next time, before we go crying over spilled milk, or in my son’s case…ingested paper, let’s take the time to talk it through.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” – James 1:1 19-20 KJV
God bless my friends!
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