Leftovers

I was talking with a friend over dinner last night about how my children behave so differently when they are with other people than they are when it's just us at home. This is especially true for our youngest daughter. Laura is an absolute angel at school…the kind of kid most teachers would love to have a class full of. She's obedient, respectful, and even a little shy. But, the minute she gets off that school bus…look out! I'm not going into graphic detail, but does the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ring any bells? I joked with my friend that she must use up all of her "good" at school…when she gets home there's none left.

My friend said, "You know, that's really true for all of us to a degree, isn't it? I mean", she continued, " a lot of times we give our best selves to the outside world and our family gets whatever is left. And, all too often, that's not much."

That is SO true. I think one reason this happens is that we let our guard down with our immediate family. With a friend we might bite our tongue when we've been offended in order to keep the friendship. At work, we have to do what we are told because we don't want to lose our job. Bur our family's love is, or should be, unconditional, so we feel safe to be our real self…for better or worse. By the end of the day, when we feel we've used up all of "our good" conflict at home is nearly inevitable.

So, how do we turn this pattern around?? Definitely, taking better care of our bodies is a good place to start…a healthy diet, daily exercise and good sleep habits are all ways to boost energy levels. In addition, the Bible tells us that when we seek God first, everything else falls right into place. Remember what it says in Matthew 6:33? "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;and all these things shall be added unto you."

When we allow Him take the reigns from us, He promises us a renewed source of strength and energy unlike anything we've ever experienced before. So, let’s commit each day to give ourselves fully to Him so that our families can have more than just our leftovers.