While we were away I was able to spend some time reading The Reflective Life by Ken Gire. There were many passages that resonated with me, but I have really been mulling a section on cultivating the reflective life. Gire writes:
"The three habits of the heart that nurture a reflective life are reading the moment, reflecting on the moment, and responding to the moment."
I have been pondering how Mom's can practically apply this in our daily lives. The first habit requires us to pay attention to the moments we are in...to really examine what is going on in the hearts and lives of our little ones as it happens.
The second habit is, frankly, why I blog. Writing is my outlet at the end of the day to pause and reconsider the moments that occurred that day. As I reflect, I find all kinds of lessons that I missed in the chaos of their actual unfolding.
The third habit is where the rubber meets the road--responding to what we have seen and learned. This is the place where we ask ourselves what we will do as a result of what we are learning. This is the place where thoughts become actions and our lives are truly changed.
"The most important reason for keeping a journal is that every now and then God shows up. Reading the moments of our day helps us see Him when He does. Reflecting on those moments helps us hear what He is saying. Responding to those moments is a way of losing our life so we can find the life He wants us to have."
-Ken Gire
Tonight as I reflected on this, I was reminded that as a Mom I should be teaching my children these habits as well. Obviously, the children are too young to journal, but I think they can be led to converse about their thoughts and feelings. I think we can teach them to notice their moments as they are happening. Tonight I tried to encourage them to reflect while we were going through the bedtime routine by asking each child individually about their high and low of the day. Some of their answers were expected and others surprising. The next step is to help them articulate what they are learning as a result.
I love these little hearts and pray for wisdom and understanding by the bushel for how to do well with what God has entrusted to me.
8 comments:
I bought this book after you mentioned it a few weeks ago, and I just finished another book so I'm ready to pick it up and start reading. Hearing you talk about it more has me excited about getting into it!
I love to journal--I did it for at least 10 years, and then kinda stopped when I got married. Seven years later I have picked it up again, and I'm wondering why I ever stopped! I want my blog to be an outlet for sharing some of the things I journal about that just bear repeating to others.
I would take issue with your author in that God does not "show up every now and then". He is omnipresent which means He is ALWAYS there - that is a very important concept to grasp. He speaks to us through His word, which requires study on our part. I believe we can see His "reflection" in those who live a life of obedience to Him. That is what is referred to in the New Testament as being the light.
Journaling is a valuable tool in gaining clarity I've found. Going through a conversation or an emotion, I can, as you say, "reflect" on it to determine if my actions or words were what they should be, and, if not, how can I amend that? As some of my written journals have "rants" in them, I do admit I'm not sure I ever want anyone to read them ever. :)
You make me want to dig out my copy from the boxes of books we have stashed under the stairs.
Maybe I'll look for it at the library instead.
By the way, I read through all your vacation posts, and wow -- what a trip! My husband and I also spent time at Frontier Ranch when we were younger; we led a youth group trip to Colorado, and we spent a day at Frontier doing the ropes course and swimming in the pool. Such a beautiful place. I'm glad you were able to enjoy it with the kids.
Cheri- I agree with you completely. God is always there. I do think He chooses to reveal Himself at different times in different ways, but I kinda cringed at that part of his quote as well.
Hey jmom,
i do journal with my kids on a make shift calendar during the summer only. I have the month on a half sheet of poster board, and divided into days of the week. The helper of the day is marked with a color, and each morning we look at the activities and before bed, after teeth, i write, they tell me, 3 sentences that sum up the day. Models writing, reading, and words that we know. They love it! Each twin picks a color for their sentence. You would love it. At the end of the summer, we read it, save it and bring it out for the next summer. I started when they were 3, and they are 6 now. Boy/Girl twins who have learned to read and write with this journal. Go for it! twinmom
I'll have to read that book. Right now I'm reading "Closer Than Your Skin" by Susan D. Hill. It's about "unwrapping the mystery of intimacy with God". So far, it's great and very honest. Kerin
That book sounds wonderful. I need to add it to my list! And your Colorado trip looked amazingly fun! We are headed there (from Texas) July 3 and will spend over a week there. We will be doing some camping and some hotel-ing, lol. We are so ready for a vacation and CO is our favorite place to go. We are going to put together some books and this will be like a giant field trip for us. Just more fun!
Pray for Patricia - who I found through your site - she is undergoing another invitro procedure as we speak. Pray that it works!! Her site is jaimefits.blogspot.com
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