Because I Have Been Given Much...

This morning our family was getting ready for church. I had already attended a two hour meeting that started at 7:30am. My husband had just returned from his own meeting. I was upstairs curling our daughters hair while hollering at our son to practice his piano piece for church. Today was the Primary program in Sacrament Meeting. Both of our kids had talks to give, and our son was asked to play the prelude music. Yikes.

After my second reminder for our son to get going, my husband came up the stairs and kindly told me I needed to relax.
"You need to lay off the kids a little. You have been really hard on them this week."

My first thought, "What, I am not hard on them."

I continued with the hot rollers and started thinking to myself, "You have no idea what it's like to take care of these three kids, and you, and the house, and teach, and my calling, and teach them their parts for this program and get them to school and help with homework and piano, and teach them manners and drive them to dance and scouts..."

The list went on.

The thoughts were not mean, they were justifying. I kept trying to convince myself that if my expectations have been too high lately, it was necessary. Doesn't my husband want kids with good manners and good grades and good talks in church?

We went to church. I sat through a great lesson on forgiveness. The teacher mentioned that no matter how many times we falter, the Savior will always give us another chance.

ANOTHER CHANCE.

That hit me like a ton of bricks. Those words wouldn't leave my mind.

For us, Sacrament is last. I sat with our daughter asleep in my lap and watched our other two children on the stand. They were quiet and reverent. I smiled at them and they smiled back.

Tears filled my eyes and it clicked. What I already knew, but always forget.

I expect a lot from our kids. I really do. They exceed every expectation I could ever have. To often I expect perfection.

The Savior doesn't expect perfection from me. He offers endless chances to learn. I can make mistakes and then go to Him. He will forgive me and let me try again. He has given me an eternity to get things right. He knows I need it.

How then is it that I have the right to expect perfection from our kids. They too should be shown the same compassion from me, that the Savior gives me. They should be allowed to make mistakes. I should always be willing to give them ANOTHER CHANCE.

I don't do it on purpose. But it happens.

I have been too hard on them this week. My husband was right. I have expected to much. I have not extended the same patience and compassion to them, that my Savior is always so willing to extend to me.

I too must give...