You’ll Never Know Who Needs This Today 💛
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Hey Reader! It’s drop-off time and you see one of your moms practically dragging her son to your door. “It’s been a rough morning” she says, and lets out an exasperated sigh. Jaden is crying, holding his half-eaten waffle in one hand while he’s trying to pull free from his mama’s tight grip. Many of the parents in our programs are struggling. They feel tremendous pressure to create the perfect childhood for their children. And they often feel as though they are failing. But your 30-second pause on a rough morning…it can make an eternal difference. Your smile and encouragement – “Hey mama, you’re doing a good job. We’ll take good care of Jaden today.” – can lift a heavy burden off a young mom’s shoulders. Take it a step further and ask one more question – “How can I pray for you today?” Then do it – if you’re comfortable, say a quick, short prayer with her right there. Or just tell her you’ll pray throughout the day as she comes to mind. And then do it. In my own experience at my school, these small simple conversations made a big difference. Parents knew that we cared about THEM as well as their children. When parents felt encouraged and supported rather than overwhelmed…they were actually more present for their children…and then their children felt more settled…and then their children had fewer “tough” mornings – both at home and at school. Parents were also more open to connecting with other parents. We helped them become friends with each other! At the end of the day, mom approaches the door with a worried look on her face. “How was he?” mom asks, nervous about your answer. “Jaden settled into our regular routine pretty quickly and he enjoyed pounding play dough today and building with blocks. He had a good day.” you respond with a smile. Mom lets out a relieved sigh and smiles at Jaden. “I missed you, buddy.” Jaden hugs his mom’s legs so tightly she has to brace herself so she doesn’t fall over! You tell her one more time…”We’re in this together. You’re a great mom and Jaden is a great kid.” Who is the mom (or dad) that needs a little extra encouragement from you this week? Will you be brave and offer them a word of encouragement? You never know…your kindness and compassion might help a mom take one step that leads toward feeling confident in motherhood or you might open the door to an introduction to Jesus.
Cheering you on this week! -Your ECCN team P.S. If you don’t want to receive these weekly emails anymore, no hard feelings. Click HERE to be removed from this list. (You’ll still receive other emails from us based on past preferences.)
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