A Soft Nudge...

Over the past 5 years God has been nudging me to read this book. It was first introduced to me many moons ago at a Mums meeting at a friends church. Molly was an infant, and children #4 and 5 were not even a thought. The book came highly recommended so I placed an order... 3 months later at another meeting the books arrived. I had forgotten my money so I let my good friend purchase the book instead. I didn't mind, I don't read child raising books and never have. I felt perfectly fine to let this pass by me as well.
Fast forward time 4 years and we now live in the south and have just begun home schooling. Again, in my moms group this book is mentioned. Of coarse all moms sang its praise and after two seconds of interest, I snubbed my nose at child raising books. I don't believe in them. To me, it was common sense. Teach them right from wrong, stop tantrums... do you all really need a book for that? I happen to mention it to a friend that I was going to read that book but the opportunity passed me by.
"Oh, I have an extra copy for you... do you want it??"
"um sure..."( I can't pass up a free book, after all im not stupid!!)
"Ok, I'll slip it in your mailbox once I get around to it."
She herself had 4.5 children and was packing up her home for an out of state move. A few days later I opened my box and retrieved the familiar cover that I had seen so many times before.
I thought it was cool and re-read the introduction, placed it on my nightstand and there it sat....for 14 months....
I moved it around. Sometimes it was on the top of my pile of books, then it would get moved to the bottom or in between.
What now?? You ask?? Hold on...Im getting to it.. I was visiting one of my newly favorite blogs. ( Yes, Im also a blog snob and have a small select few I will read...) and almost fell off my chair. She was a HS mom of 9 and her goals and reasonings for schooling were all EXACTLY the same as mine... so similar it scared me. I mentioned it to Jason and had to double check to make sure it wasn't ME writing it. Even he was impressed at the similarities.
As I soaked in everything she had to say over the last few months I came across an entry about Child discipline.This book was mentioned... again!!! She wrote about this book not as a step by step how to book but as a guide into the heart of your child.
Again, I felt like God was hitting me over the head... as He has to do quite often. Im kinda dense... speaking into the heart of my children and getting to know their hearts has been something I have been praying about the last few weeks. With some hesitation I walked into my bedroom and found the old dusty book and began reading.
This book is based on Luke 6:45 "...out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks..."
What is even better is that the kids and I were just discussing a similar verse found in Proverbs 27:19 "As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."
Do you see the correlation? We ended up in a lengthy discussion about how our hearts lead to our actions.
Perhaps you don't see the profoundness of it all but I do.
Im on chapter 4 and it really is a great book. It will help me speak to the heart of my child and once I understand their heart, I can guide and instruct them.
Thank you God for waiting 5 years for me to finally listen... who ever said your not patient??