21 Days of Prayer for Sons - Kindness (Day 13)

Rocky showing kindness to Luca (at the end of a long birthday)

One of my main directions to my older sons is to be loving and KIND to their siblings. I think a lot of times they get caught up in trying to control or "boss" the others and forget to treat others as they want to be treated. When Antonio and Rocky were little, the ages that Carlo and Luca are now, they were pretty self-sufficient boys. However, there were times when they lost control of their tempers or forgot the rules (just as their brothers do.) I found then, and it still holds true, that boys need kindness and a strong hand. Discipline is not about bossing or punishing, but training with love.

As Sally Clarkson wrote on the M.O.B. Society blog, "I noticed that when I treated my boys in a gentle way, with respect and spoke directly to them, at eye level, and touched their little backs or shoulders, they were much more attentive.'A gentle answer turns away wrath,' from Proverbs became the pattern for my speech to my boys. Treating them with gentleness and patience created a desire in them to become civil with me. I was firm and consistent, but honored their desire for kindness."

This is such wisdom. Even now, at 13 and almost 12, my older boys respond much better to me if I look them in the eye (almost eye-to-eye! Yikes!), touch their arm or hand, and speak to them in a gentle, firm manner.  We all want to be treated with respect as well as kindness; it pays to honor your sons in this way.

Kindness

May the LORD now show__________kindness and faithfulness (2 Samuel 2:6) 

May__________be kind and compassionate to others, forgiving, just as in Christ God forgave him (Ephesians 4:32)

May__________, as the Lord's servant, not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil (2 Timothy 2:24)

May__________never repay anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to others and to everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

Let__________speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that he may know how he ought to answer each person (Colossians 4:6)

May__________love others with brotherly affection, outdo others in showing honor (Romans 12:10)

May the the Lord bless__________and keep him. May the Lord make his face shine upon him and be gracious to him; the Lord turn his face toward him and give him peace (Numbers 6:23-26)

May__________not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares (Hebrews 13:2)

May__________be kind to others, tenderhearted, forgiving others, as God in Christ forgave Him (Ephesians 4:32)

May__________live in harmony with others; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble (1 Peter 3:8)