“I Want My Mama”

“Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.” — Colossians 3:21
 
Do you have any idea how your tone of voice lands on the people you love?
 
On Friday nights, our five-year-old grandson usually comes to spend the night with Ginger and me. The next morning, he and I went into the kitchen, and I was in charge of breakfast. He wanted oatmeal. Now I didn’t make it from scratch. I poured the package into a bowl, added water, and stuck it in the microwave.
 
I had told him before, “Whatever you do, don’t open the door of that microwave until it’s completely through beeping.” I’d always thought radiation would come out if you opened it early. By the way, that’s not even true. Well, he opened the door before it finished. And I raised my voice. I didn’t yell, but I raised my voice just a little.
 
Immediately he got quiet. And then he said, “I want my mama.”
 
I asked him, “Do you want your mama because I hurt your feelings when I raised my voice?” He said, “Yes, sir.”
 
That little sensitive spirit picked up on my tone right away, and he wanted to be somewhere safe. I was concerned for him. My motive was right. But it’s often not what we say, it’s how we say it, that creates the offense.
 
Paul tells fathers not to provoke their children, because a provoked child gets discouraged. And I want you to notice something. The Holy Spirit is sensitive like that too. When harshness comes out of us, His sweet presence pulls back, the same way that little boy wanted his mama.
 
So listen to yourself today. Pay attention to how you speak to your kids, your grandkids, and anybody smaller than you. If you’ve been sharp with one of them, get down on their level, look them in the eye, and tell them you’re sorry.