Seekers Of The Light

I am convinced that we are all born as seekers. There are things that we seek to know; to find; to understand. These are as varied as we are, however, the one thing that is innately inbred into the fiber of every human life and that is to seek the Light. There is a spiritual darkness into which we are born that cries out for LIGHT. Just as the Magi of the Christmas story, we are driven to find the One who came to be the Light of the World.

If you think about it, your kids – every time they push the limits- are seeking to find their way out of darkness and into Light. With each inappropriate behavior they are seeking guidance, even if they don’t realize it. If I had it to do over again, I would have treated the negative behaviors of my children as if they were simply seeking guidance, rather than defying my authority. What if I had reacted to naughty choices as an opportunity to shine His Light on their path? I guess I will never have the answer to that question, but I have a few suggestions for those of you who still have time to give it a try!

1)      When you are dealing with your child’s behaviors that are less than ideal, remember that guiding them means zero tolerance for bad choices. If you are not consistent with the things that will and will not be tolerated, your children will not see a path that is lit and safe to follow. They will see light that is bouncing everywhere and they will have no idea which way to turn. Keep the right path consistently lit by patiently directing them to proper choices and away from that which you have deemed unacceptable.

2)      When your kids are naughty it is easy to succumb to frustration which very easily turns into anger. Reacting out of anger may scare your children into submission (after all that is a dark behavior from which they will run) but it does not show them the light to which they should run. Remind yourself, when your fuse is becoming short enough for an explosion, that their behaviors are actions that are seeking Light; that bad behaviors are merely seeking to know where the boundaries lie, what is appropriate, what is not, what will be tolerated, what will not, what brings joy and acceptance, what does not. When we fail to shine the Light of Love to illuminate the path they should travel, the bad behaviors will continue. Sometimes kids push the limits to the point that you think they will never get it. Take a deep breath and let God shine through you to do what you don’t have the strength to do yourself.

3)      When you have taken a wrong turn on your path that has resulted in pain and separation from the Light, older children can begin to hear the PG version of your story so that they can see and hear the contrast and consequences of wandering from God. Remembering where you have come from will help you to refrain from shining a glaring light at their short comings. Shining the light at them will help them to see where they are, which is important, but the light mustn’t stay there, but be pointed in the direction they should go. Caution: when you are not on the right path, your kids are more likely to follow you than they are to follow the Light.

Lord, help us to see Your Light more clearly, follow Your Light more closely and reflect Your Light more truly as we guide our children towards the Light of Life.