How Can I Help You?


Noah is all about helping.


Sidenote: I have noticed the extreme irony in how extremely helpful preschoolers are compared with their skill levels. Then, when some fine motor skills have been developed by the time they are 7 or 8, out the window goes the helpful spirit. I have determined that I'm going to try to set a pattern and let Noah help me now when he wants to, but doesn't necessarily do a good job, and hopefully (hopefully) when he is older a habit will have been made to be helpful.


Laugh if you want to. Just don't tell me if this is a dumb idea. I'd rather just do this anyway, and believe that children can be trained to be helpful for the long haul.


Anyway. Helping...I'm already starting to notice that Noah is getting pickier about the ways he can be a help.


The other day I was making dinner and Noah came up and asked if he could help me. I immediately thought of things he can do: throw a few pieces of trash away, set the table, get me the scissors. I mentioned these things, but he wanted to help me make biscuits instead. There's so much more fun in playing in the flour, rolling the dough flat, and squishing the cutters into the soft dough.


It got me to thinking, do I do this to the Lord? I tell Him that I love Him and want to serve Him. But I'm only interested in the "fun" jobs. Not witnessing to the lost, or spending much time in prayer, or showing hospitality to strangers, or anything remotely hard or stretching. I want to do the easy, rewarding, fun stuff!


Lord, help me to accept any job You have for me with joy! Let me not pick and choose only what I want to do...


Comments

Deborah said…
Though not very far down the road of mothering, I believe we are the ones that greatly shape and influence our children and how they veiw service (being helpful) to others. My approach was much like yours - to encourage the heat attitude of desiring to serve - not demanding perfection or that it be done "my way" , though taking the time to teach an orderly method or properness. My nearly 8 year old and 5 1/2 year old daily ask, "What else may I do to be helpful?" And finishing one chore return to me before going to indulge in playing - with the same question, "Mommy is there something else I can do to be helpful?" This is well worth the training - the heart though deceitful is pliable and ready ground for plowing and planting. May your harvest be abundant as you in later years observe him say to others, "What else may
I do to be helpful?" One day may you both hear the words from Matthew 25 that you have done well and have been a faithful servant.
October 7, 2010 at 1:08 PM
Carrie said…
What a good thought about us only wanting to what we want to do in serving the Lord. I unfortunately would love to be pessimistic with you about raising helpful boys produce helpful boys, but I just haven't found it the case. I have to force my boys to be helpful. Maybe its b/c they are boys, maybe this is the age I have to consistently make them so they will be helpful later..not sure?
October 7, 2010 at 4:46 PM
Carrie said…
hope my before post wasn't to discouraging. I was thinking about it some more and I do believe boys can be taught. i have a wonderful helpful Father and husband so I know the end goal can be achieved. I was just saying it seems like its not working so many times. Keep up the good training :)
October 8, 2010 at 12:51 PM
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