Romans 12:21

To begin with, I will say that no one ever said overcoming evil is easy.

This has been an exhausting week, with both Art Camp and Vacation Bible School going on. It’s hard to explain why. It’s difficult to tell you what it’s like to get 4 little boys ready to leave the house 3 times a day, wake up early, and stay up late.

It’s hard to explain why I completely melted down yesterday morning, but I did. Let’s just say I was heavily weighted to the evil side. I can be truly horrid at 5:45 am.

It doesn’t matter what my excuse was. What does matter is that I pulled myself back together, I apologized to Alan, and I learned from my mistakes.

Because that’s what we do. The only way to fight evil (even the evil in ourselves) is with good.

The first step is to recognize it, and what usually causes it is just selfishness and pride. Parenting and marriage will work the selfishness right out of you, won’t it?

But some people never get past the whole pride thing. Those people get on my nerves. I mean, because I surely never fall into that category, ahem, *cough* okay yes, I do.

So, as this “overcoming evil with good thing” sunk into my brain today, I thought of ways I could put this into action.

Here’s what I’m going to do to overcome evil today:

1. Be kind to the people around me.

It’s easy. Just bite your tongue sometimes…

2. Leave the house. (Check! Did that one!) Last year I just couldn’t much. I was adjusting. This year I can, and it’s fun. It’s challenging:

“All right! Everybody put on your shoes, and head to the car! Why can I never find JD’s socks? I keep buying socks, and yet all the socks in his drawers are too small.”

“Where are your shoes, Daniel, I don’t understand.”

“They’re on the wrong feet. Here, let me fix them.”

10 minutes later the shoes are back on the wrong feet. He likes them that way. I don’t get it.

“Would someone please buckle Daniel?”

“Well, go get a drink then, but hurry up!”

“No, I don’t know where your Transformer cup is.”

“Yes, get whatever you want, just get in the car!”

“Oh, good, everyone is buckled. Ew. Oh, JD, are you poopy?”

“Yeth. Poop.”

Great. “Okay. I have to run back in and change JD’s diaper. NOBODY move. NOBODY get in the front seat. Caleb, make sure Daniel does not get in the front seat. I should probably make you all get out of the van. Just leave the doors open, and I’ll take the keys with me.”

I change the offensive diaper and come back to …….fighting, of course.

“He pulled on my seatbelt!”

“He hit me!”

“He called me a boron!”

“Now we’re late,” but thankfully most people expect us to be late anyway. If you don’t understand why, then we just aren’t much alike, and that’s okay. The world needs more people like YOU and less procrastinators tripping over themselves like me..

3. Cook supper for Alan.

All week there has been no supper made for Alan because the kids and I were at VBS, and VBS supplies supper for the workers. Alan got home late all week. I figured he’d be fine, but  the man ate pizza 3 out of 4 of those nights, so tonight I’m making him his favorite chicken dish and chocolate chip cookies. (I feel like I should mention that Alan cooks everyone breakfast, everyday. But I guess he doesn’t want to also have eggs for supper.)

See, spreading good doesn’t have to be that hard.

4. Disciplining my children.

You are welcome. That doesn’t mean they will be perfect, but I promise to train them to the best of my ability. We’ve all seen what happens to the kids whose parents don’t bother.

5. Helping at Vacation Bible School

This has been an exciting week. I got to pray with two sweet little girls in Caleb’s group to accept Jesus. I get to answer their questions about God every night. It’s a lot of work, but if it helps even one of them, it’s worth it. (Now, as I said before, I’m not really doing that much. There are people there who are working all day on this. We are thankful!)

6. Giving to Big Causes

America is not the only country in the world. There are a lot of people living in refugee camps or third world countries where just getting clean water is a struggle. Maybe one day I will get to do more than just give money to other people who help, but for now it’s what I can do. I recently learned that I have friends who grew up in refugee camps, that are run by UNHCR, which made me proud to give to that organization. But do you know what organization it was that got my friends out of refugee camps and into America, where they are now citizens?

Catholic Charities. That was a blessing to hear. There are still so many people doing good things, throughout the world: BIG things that make a huge difference to people.

Then of course, there’s Compassion International. I will shout their praises ’till the cows come home. Compassion gives people in need food, education, encouragement, and the knowledge of Christ. They meet the physical needs of the people before trying to meet the spiritual needs, just as Jesus did. If you support just one charity, what a great one to support! With Compassion, you can even go and visit your sponsored child and their family, if you wish.

7. Did I mention I baked my kids cookies?

Full tummies just feel like love. 🙂

8. Spending time loving on my children

I am so privileged that I get to spend all day with my boys. So many people would love to do that and can’t, so I am grateful.

my foot and Caleb’s foot: The big boys are so proud that their feet have almost caught up with mine. I’m just happy that I can check the mailbox wearing their flip-flops.

Now you may laugh and say I haven’t changed the world at all, but I know better.

I know that these are better things to dwell on than all of my mistakes. These are better ways to grow love than lashing out at people we disagree with. I’m just going to focus on praising God and seeing what good that I can find to do. Hopefully, in the process, I will also become a better person.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Philippians 4:8

Teaching Dan how to make biscuits: Hopefully, his future wife and kids will thank me one day. 🙂

You have all spread good just by reading my blog and occasionally even commenting.

I feel so far from my family and many of my friends. It’s like a giant hug when I get comments or emails from you. Thank you for this encouragement! I hope you all have a fun weekend.

The post What to Do to Overcome Evil With Good Today appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.