Friday, June 28, 2013

Weekly Profit

I have an online accounting software for A Glimpse of Grace, the business. Every week it sends me an automated message about my activity for the week. For the past five weeks, the subject line has read: WEEKLY PROFIT: $0.00!

I disagree!!!

No, I haven't made any money in the past five weeks, but I sure have made memories, made a difference, and I have made headway in taming an angry six-year-old.

I'm sure most of us would agree that money isn't the measure of our lives. I have never sought after money as my top priority, but there have been times in my life when money was scare enough to cause concern. In those times, it is more difficult to make choices that value our relationships with God and others above the commitment to make enough money to provide food and shelter for ourselves and our families.

Right now, I am blessed to be living in a time of enough, in regards to money and material things. And as I am packing up my glass studio (read more here) in anticipation of a church call, my profit is elsewhere. And that, too, is a blessing.

Making memories for my child is an amazing opportunity to affect who she will become. I deeply desire her to have a solid love for God, a solid understanding of Grace in Jesus Christ, and a confidence in herself that is solidly based on those two things. I am in no way competent at creating these results, but I can welcome her friends, create an environment of acceptance and peace, and guide the interactions that can so easily tend toward abuse toward playmates rather than love and grace.This opportunity is profit indeed!

Making a difference right now means taking care of two of our grandchildren while their dad is working. Their mom, our daughter, lives elsewhere, but the children spend the summer with their dad here in our town. Having three children around, ages 7, 6, and 4, is challenging, of course. It stretches all of us as we navigate sharing, accommodating, and including. But I wouldn't trade this opportunity to be family with them! And I'm glad we can make a difference so their dad doesn't have to worry about finding and paying for child care while he works. Profit again!

And then there is our angry six-year-old. I'm not sure why she's angry lately; possible explanations abound! I'm sure you can see the potential connection between having the extra children and our daughter's anger. Frankly, it doesn't matter much why she's angry, as long as she is safe and well (which she is). She needs to learn to tame her anger, instead of allowing it to run rampant over everyone around her. Much of her anger seems directed at me when I won't simply do something for her: a math problem, bring her a toy, etc. But there is profit indeed in teaching her how to manage her emotions as she becomes a more independent individual.

Weekly Profit: No money, but plenty of learning, growing, loving, stretching, and enjoying... I count that as awesome!

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