I Corinthians 13:4-8

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. I Corinthians 13:4-8


"Love is patient"

When my child was born, I was immediately changed. I worried about him, my body missed his presence within, and I had the need to protect him.  I knew right then that I wanted to do whatever I could to provide for him a life better than the one I had.   It was as though he could judge at such a young age.  I remember daydreaming in the hospital about his room, his space, his toys, and none of it reflected visions of divorce, abandonment, homelessness, and fear.
In the months ahead, I had to learn very quickly the meaning of patience.  Patience with my (then) husband, patience with myself as a new mother, and with my family.  God granted me this virtue because He knew I needed it, I needed to practice it so that I had it to pull on in the future...It wasn't easy, but I learned it and am still learning new patience every day.

"Kind"

As a mother, I have learned that my son is a reflection of me.  When I am with him, I am representing him, and he is representing me .  I have always been kind, but in my new role, I have found it very hard to hold my temper when I feel like my son has been wronged in some way.  
I also learned quickly that all of my actions were being imitated by my son, so if I was kind to a stranger, he would be too.  If I was kind to his father, he would be too.  If I reacted in a negative tone, he would learn that too.  My son is 2 years old now, and it is so funny to see him imitate me on a cell phone, even down to the "uh huh's".  Through this experience, I realize I am responsible for his actions...so parents, remember to be kind.

"...It does not envy, boast, nor is proud"

Hmm...I am not envious, I am not boastful, but I am very proud of my son.  I am proud of the little person that he is, he is compassionate, sensitive, a blessing, and pure joy.  He keeps me excited about life, smiling even when  I am down...now a days, he reminds me to talk to God...usually when he is trying to dodge bedtime, but I cannot help but be proud of him.  Children sense their parents' enthusiasm about them, it makes them excited and want to do better, just to get that reaction...and for a child, that is priceless.

"...It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking"

In all you do, give honor and glory to God.  If you spend your time dishonoring others, our children learn that and will do it too...need an example? Look at today's children, they have no manners, and have no respect for elders...As human beings, we were born selfish, I teach my son daily to share, and to realize he is here for a reason, and being mean and selfish is not one of those reasons.  The things we have today are things that we worked for, time was put into it, and it can all be taken away.

"...It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

If you get nothing else out of this blog, at least realize that life is too short.  Too short to hold on to anger, and too short not to forgive.  Children die daily some from terminal illnesses, some from accidents and mistakes, and some from things that still have no explanation. 
Forgiveness and anger are two things that I believe are learned behaviors and are passed on or not passed on (for forgiveness sake) through generations.  I believe anger is a generational curse, and forgiveness, a generational blessing.  God forgives us daily for our sins, and keeps no records of our wrongs.  He knows what we have done, and what our potential is, He does this for us, His children.     Remember that these things are important in rearing a child.  Don't teach them anger, teach them to let go, and let God deal with the other party, because life is too short and will pass us by if we hold on to anger for years.  Forgiveness is essential to growth and releasing anger, they work hand in hand.  I had to forgive my son's father for things he had done in order to keep a peaceful relationship with him that teaches our son to respect him despite things that have nothing to do with him.  It is our duty as parents to teach our children this.

You're probably wondering where I am going with all of this information.  Well for starters, my name is Triniece Matthews.  I am a divorced, single parent to a wonderful little boy.  I Corinthians 13:4-8 is one of my favorite scriptures, mainly for the reasons given above but also because of how it relates to being a parent.  I am writing this blog to help give support to parents operating alone who need someone to relate to.  Parents who need an example to agree or disagree with, to reassure them that they are either doing something right, or wrong, and for me to agree with them on the fact that even as parents, we do not have all the answers.

My main reason for writing this blog is to help parents, especially single parents to remember, that even though we may work more jobs than most families, or worry about more things than most families, and heck, even handle the majority of our stresses alone, we are still parents, a role that we need to embrace, and to be proud of it!  As a single parent we are not given a waiver that states that we are free from RAISING OUR CHILDREN.  We need to do this with patience, kindness, love, teaching them to be free from anger and with the power to forgive.

I hope you enjoy this blog, I look forward to your feedback, comments, criticism, and smiles.  Remember none of these words I have written would have been possible if it weren't for God and my love for my son.