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Thursday, January 30, 2014

WWJD?

What would Jesus do?

This is a question that was so overused by mainstream Christianity a few years ago that I started  to ignore it.  Everybody had their little "WWJD" plastic bracelets, it was advertized on shirts and in Christian bookstore windows.  To me, it became a sign of "non-Orthodox" Christianity.  I'm not entirely sure why, because as I think about it now, it seems that this question--what would Jesus do?--should be asked by everyone, Orthodox or no, who is seeking the Kingdom of God by leading a Christ-like life.

I have had occasion to ponder more about this lately.  I am busy raising young children, and above all, I want to turn their hearts to God.  It occured to me that this phrase might be a good way to help them think on that too.  So, when one of my kids yelled at another the other morning, "I am NOT going to help you clean that up!"  I saw a teaching opportunity.

I asked her, "What would Jesus do if he were here?"

She though for a moment, and said in a very small voice, "Help pick up the puzzle."

"Why?"  I asked.

"Because we are supposed to love each other and help each other."

Ding ding ding.  Mission accomplished.  Said child turned around to go help pick up the puzzle pieces, only to return triumphantly six seconds later.  "She already did it herself.  I don't have to help now."  Fortunately for me (unfortunately?) my house is a perpetual zone of chaos, and there was another puzzle strewn on the floor in the living room.  I sent her to pick that one up.

Now, before my hand gets too sore from patting myself on the back, let me tell you another story.

Last week, I was presented with the opportunity to be a bad parent.  Unfortunately, I rose magnificently to the occasion.  My husband--with grace and love--waited until we were alone later that evening and called me out.  My knee jerk reaction was to tell him not to boss me around.  (I beg you not to be impressed by my maturity).  Thankfully, I had the sense to bite my tongue.  However, as I am apparently allergic to criticism, I was upset for awhile.  A long while.  (As a matter of fact, I woke up the next morning still kind of hacked off.)

Then I thought about what I've been trying to teach my kids.  And it hit me like a freight train--perhaps I am the one who should be asked that question of myself.  What would Jesus do?  Well, He would probably not be mad at my husband.  So I started there.   Then I looked at the situation the night before.  As often happens in my life (insert grumbling here), my husband was right.  I had not been a good mom in that moment.  I thought about the little girl that I had wronged, and my throat did that itchy, closing-off thing it does when I'm trying to hold back tears.

Then, I looked on the kitchen table and found a note she had left for me.  It said, "Mom and Dad, I love you."

Friends, I cried.  A lot.

So, I did what Jesus would have done.  I forgave my husband, and myself.  (That was a doozy).  And I resolved not to make the same mistake again.

This morning, my two year old was told to retrieve a sippy cup from behind a recliner.  She did this by climbing over the side table (which she KNOWS she is not supposed to do), kicking the lamp over in the process.  Boom, broken lamp, shattered light bulb.  Glass everywhere.  Sippy cup still not retrieved.  I forced myself to count for a moment, and asked myself, "What would Jesus do?"  I concluded that Jesus would probably speak kindly to the errant child, then clean up the mess.  So I did, although I'm pretty sure, had Jesus been there, He probably wouldn't have thought, "Wow, this would make a good blog post."


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