Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Submissive Daughterhood part 2



I have already spoken of the importance of being submissive to our fathers and our places in the home. Let me share with you the effect you have in your home.

Our moods. It is so important that we wake up with the right perspective of the day in the morning! On several occasions I have observed that the way I respond to my siblings is the way everyone becomes. An example. A few mornings ago I woke up, went to wash my face and found that my bathroom sink was leaking all over the floor, causing me to slip. Then I couldn't find the skirt I wanted to wear. One catastrophe after another etc.

We young women can find so much to fuss about! And they are so little! So by the time I went up to breakfast, my mood was as sour as a grape. My sweet 10 year old brother had fixed breakfast and he greeted me with a smile and "Good morning Bria." I mumbled hi and shrugged off the polite greeting. He caught my grumpy mood and I could tell by the look on his face I had responded wrong. The rest of the morning he was a bit snappy at the other children, and the other children became snappy, then mom became irritated at every one's mood.
It is a domino effect! WE are the ones who lead our siblings moods, the oldest, or the oldest girls. I know it is very hard for me MANY times in the day to set a godly example, being the oldest one in my family is a big responsibility!

I believe that the relationship between you and your siblings is one of the most important things you can do. But it takes years of effort, and help from the Lord to do this task. Many books as well as the bible have been helpful to me in this area. One that made a tremendous impact on me was "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends" by the Mally children.

One of the things that will build up that relationship wall is doing small things that your siblings enjoy, slowly, brick by brick you add on to make that wall stronger. And I simply ask my siblings if there is anything they want me to play or read with them. Doing things that they care about is a biggie! Because you are showing them that you care more about what THEY want; you are putting aside your wants, you are being selfLESS.

I know that as I got up into years, I didn't like playing in the mud anymore, or catching bugs to study, or dressing up dolls. This put a gap in my wall, my brother and sister would tell me that I wasn't fun anymore. This is like a knife in your heart, and I worked slowly to pull it out. I realized that I was doing the things, of MY interest. I said to myself " So what if you are a mature 15 year old! It is alright to be a kid again, if not just for their sake!"

And please, don't get me wrong, I still to this day struggle with relationships! It is not something you catch on to overnight. I am by no means good in this area. Let us make a sibling challenge! Will you join me?

For one week (and why not all the time?) with these subjects we will strive to:

Speak kind words "Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and health to the bones."

Do a chore for them "And whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord, and not for men."

Do their favorite activity " Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for another."

Share our knowledge "For wisdom is for a protection [the same as] money is for a protection; but the advantage of knowledge is that wisdom itself preserves the lives of its possessors. - Ecclesiastes 7:12

Disciple them in God's Word "Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee."

Get dirty for the boys --Um the bible doesn't talk much on that!

Teach the girls music and sewing "She seeks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight." Proverbs 31:13

If you have things that help you in your relationships with siblings, tell me about it! I hope I have been an encouragement in this area!


BRIA CRAWFORD

1 comment:

Clara said...

I think one of the most important thing regarding siblings is to not become competitive, but rather to build one another up! My sisters and I are all over 26 now, and you will notice that the older you get the more important it is to base your relationship with your siblings on friendship and encouragment than rivalry and criticism. :)