Paper Post from Elise September 12, 2015

My pattern since deciding to write paper posts to Riley which are sent with the prints of our family picutre is to pray about what should I write.  This time I got a new answer:  it's someone else's story to tell this week.

I had Elise and Aleah with me when that impression came and shared it, asking if one of them hadn't told me a spiritual experience this past week.  Elise lit up and said, "I did...  about prayer and the fighting."  I asked her if she was willing to write that experience out for me.  And she came right home and did.

As I read her story, I remembered the impact of peer teaching I'd seen in our family home evenings when the children were little and I relinquished my ideal of perfectly prepared and presented parent-taught lessons for little children sharing simple principles they understood.  I never stop being amazed by these spiritual giants we are entrusted to raise.

From Elise:

Dear Riley,

I had a really neat experience this week that I would like to share with you  I'm sure you've heard of the constant fighting problem in our home.  I had grown sick of it and became upset with Aleah and Parker.  I didn't like the way I felt, but I didn't think about how to change it.  I felt like I had no control over my actions or feelings anymore.

I finally couldn't take it any longer.  I felt so terrible that on Friday I knelt down and prayed harder than any other time I have prayed.  I prayed that I would be forgiven for my mistakes, that I would be guided when a fight came around, that I would be able to reach Aleah and Parker in an appropriate way, and that I wouldn't be as reactive to insults.

The next morning I felt different.  I no longer felt weighed down by the mistakes I'd made.  Aleah was having a bad morning and was looking for a fight.  She of course tried to attack me by insults.  The insults really stung.  She knew the things that would usually set me off.  I was about to say something horrid back, but instead blurted out, "Okay."  She seemed suprised, but tried to dig deeper.  The same thing happened again and again.  Every insult was swatted down by an "Okay or "You're right, I could work on that". Suddenly she stopped and I walked away even though I still wanted to get her back for what she had said.

She took a minute to cool down, then came downstairs with tears in her eyes and apologized for how she had behaved.  She said that I had handled it in the exact way that she needed.  It was exactly what I had prayed for.

I am so thankful that I knew I could get help through prayer and that I knew I didn't have to do it alone.  I love you and know that you are doing the right thing.

Love,
Elise