对她们好，她们就会对你好吗？
原文链接：https://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2012/06/be-nice-to-them-theyll-be-nice-to-you.html
日期： 2012-06-06
标签： 10 lepers（十个麻风病人）、children（儿童）、faith art（信仰主题美术）、give in secret（隐秘施予）、God（上帝）、Love（爱）、mouths of babes（婴孩之口）、planting seeds（播撒种子）
上帝赐予我两个女儿：梅茜（5岁）和玛德琳（13个月大）。梅茜从小便以一种奇妙的方式与上帝联结。作为母亲，我竭尽全力向她讲述上帝的爱，并按祂所指引的方向引导她。自幼年起，她就常说出令我惊叹不已的话——这些话真切地印证了她与基督之间的联结。
马太福音 11:25：“那时，耶稣说：‘父啊，天地的主，我感谢你！因为你将这些事向聪明通达人就藏起来，向婴孩就显出来。’”
诗篇 8:2：“你因敌人的缘故，从婴孩和吃奶的口中建立了能力，使仇敌和报仇的闭口无言。”
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| 我画这幅画时想到的是我的梅茜……梅茜以前特别喜欢在公园荡秋千。当她荡得很高时，会扭过头向上张望，喊道：“看啊，耶稣，我荡得可高啦！”她甚至曾在汽车后座把棒棒糖分给耶稣吃。 |
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| 这幅画的灵感来自孩子在痛苦时刻所展现的爱。我知道，在我艰难的日子里，上帝让玛德琳陪伴在我身边，成为我在风雨中的抚慰旋律。她确实是上帝所赐的礼物，也是祷告的应答。 |
真奇妙啊——我们年岁渐长，总以为自己懂得很多；而实际上，我们每天仍在与孩子一同学习。很多时候，我们教给孩子的功课，其实正是要教给我们自己的。上帝借着孩子帮助我们成长。诚然，学习某件事的最佳方式，就是把它教给别人。
前几天我们在车里，我和丈夫肖恩正聊起一些刻薄的人，或类似的话题。“话匣子”梅茜也想插上两句……
她对我们说：“嘿，如果你对别人好，他们也会对你好！圣经里就是这么说的！”
我和她爸爸互相对视了一眼。我说：“不，梅茜，其实圣经里并没有这样讲！这点你必须明白……”
梅茜却坚持说这句话就在“她”的圣经里。她变得有些防御、固执，还担心我们生她的气。但我深感，必须在她一生都信以为真之前，把真理告诉她。
我对她说：“梅茜，耶稣对所有人都很好，但他们却把他杀了。祂教导我们：即使别人对我们不好，我们仍要继续善待他们。如果有人打你的右脸，祂希望你转过左脸由他打。当然，不是真的要让人打另一侧的脸，而是说：当别人刻薄待你时，你只需任其如此，而不以恶报恶。这很难做到，但却是祂的吩咐，也是祂亲身行出的榜样。”
爸爸补充道：“如果有人对你刻薄，你就走开好了。”
上帝把孩子赐给我们，既是祝福，也是责任——要养育他们，使他们认识真理。世界未必总对我们友善，但我们仍须坚持行义。这一点，我仍在学习，正如我年幼的孩子们一样。
真奇妙啊——上帝竟让车里的这一课，如此切合我当时正经历的处境。在我养育自己孩子的同时，天父也同样在塑造、成长着我！近来，我一直在思索：人们对我为他们所做之事的反应（或毫无反应）……
最近，我正努力顺服上帝，留心聆听祂指示我该为谁做事。有时，祂要我去触碰的人，并非我以为会感激我的那类人；但判断他人是否值得被爱，并非我的职责。祂清楚自己引领我前往何处。我凭顺服而行动，深知：当这些善举完成之后，我未必能获得属世之心所渴求的结果。然而，祂正教导我：他人如何回应我的善意，并非我该挂怀之事；我所渴慕的，是祂的称许；我之所以被感动去给予，本就源于祂；若无祂的引导，我也无法按需施予。我越来越觉得：向外伸出手的，并非我自己的心，而是祂的爱在我里面运行、推动我去给予。
马太福音 6:3–4 隐秘施予
我们施予困苦之人时，不应追求属世的夸赞。若已得人的称赞，便不能再得上帝的赏赐。当隐秘地帮助有需要的人，不求他人褒扬，却笃信：我们在天上的父必在天上赏赐我们。
当我出于顺服而给予时，很少会从受赠者那里听到一声“谢谢”。我并不期待它，但若能听到，确实令人欣慰。上帝明白这一切……
《路加福音》17:11–19 十个麻风病人
耶稣医治了十个患麻风病的人，却只有一人回来感谢祂。我们做事不应期待一句“谢谢”，而应怀着盼望与爱去做。真正的爱，是不求任何回报的给予。
每当我感到想要放弃时，这首歌总能大大鼓舞我——欢迎你一同聆听！
玛蒂娜·麦克布莱德，《无论如何》
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLtyzRgmyI
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| 孩子是上帝所赐的礼物；他们永远属于上帝。上帝将孩子托付给我们，只是让我们在世上暂居期间代为照管。 |
看到梅茜以信仰为主题的绘画，对我而言是一份巨大的奖赏。这让我满怀希望——她正在学习《圣经》所教导的一切真理。我深爱她的画作！（4岁）
对她们好她们就会对你好吗
Original: https://tabithaannthelostsock.blogspot.com/2012/06/be-nice-to-them-theyll-be-nice-to-you.html
Date: 2012-06-06
Tags: 10 lepers, children, faith art, give in secret, God, Love, mouths of babes, planting seeds
God has blessed me with 2 girls, Maisy (5) and Madelynn (13 months). Maisy has always been connected to God in an awesome way. I try my hardest as her mother to tell her about His love and guide her in the direction He wants me to. Since she was a little girl, she has said things that are just amazing to me that truly are testaments to her connection to Christ.
Matthew 11:35 "At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."
Psalm 8:2 With praises from children and from tiny infants, you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent, and all who turn against you are left speechless.
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| I drew this picture thinking of My Maisy... Maisy used to love to swing at the park. When she got really high, she would look over her shoulder up high and say, "Look Jesus, I am going really high!". She even used to share her lollipop with him in the back seat of the car. |
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| This picture was inspired by the love of a child in times of pain. I know God had Maddy with me in hard times to be my soothing melody in rough patches. She is truly a gift from God and answer to prayer. |
It is so neat how when we are old, we think we know so much. But in reality we are just learning everyday right along side out kids. Most of the time, the lessons we teach them are really there to teach them to ourselves. God uses children to help us grow. It is true that the best way to learn something is to teach it to somebody else.
The other day we were in the car and Me and Shannon (my husband) were talking about mean people or something along those lines. Maisy "chatterbox" wanted to put in her two cents...
She told her daddy and me, "Hey, if you are nice to people, they will be nice to you. That is what it says in the Bible!".
Her daddy and I looked at each other. I said, "No, actually Maisy, the Bible does not say that! You need to know this..."
Maisy continued to tell us how it was in "her" Bible. She got defensive and stubborn about it and thought we were mad at her. But I felt it was very important to tell her the truth before she believes a lie her whole life.
I told her, "Maisy, Jesus was nice to everyone and they killed him. He told us that if people are not nice to us, that we should be nice anyways. If somebody hit us in one cheek, He wants us to turn our face and let them hit the other one too. Well, not really, but it means that if they are mean that we should just let them be and not "hit" back. It is hard to do this, but it is what He says and what He did."
Daddy adds, "If somebody is mean to you, you just walk away.".
GOd gives us kids as a blessing and a responsibility to raise them to know the truth. The world will not always be nice to us, but we have to keep doing what is right anyways. I am still learning that just as much as my own small children.
It is neat how God made this lesson in the car so relevant to what I was going through that same time. While growing my own children, our Father grows us just the same! I have been dealing with how people react (or lack of reaction) to things I do for them....
I have been trying really hard to be obedient to God lately and listen to who He needs me to do things for. Sometimes the people He needs me to touch are not the type of people that I think would appreciate it, but that is not my place to decide. He knows where he leads me. I do it in obedience knowing that when these acts of kindness are completed, I will not necessarily get the result my earthly heart longs for. But, He is teaching me that what others do in response to my kindness should not be what I care about. It is his praise I want. It is because of Him that I am moved to give in the first place. Without His guidance I would not give as needed. I feel like it is not my heart that reaches out to others, but His love that works within me to give.
Matthew 6:3-4 Giving in Secret,
We should not seek to be rewarded with Earthly praises when we give to the needy. If we are praised by humans, we will not need God's praise. Give to the needy in secret without seeking praise from others, but in confidence that our Heavenly Father will reward us in Heaven.
When I give out of obedience, I rarely get a "thank you" from the receiver. I don't expect it, but it would be nice. God understands...
Luke 17: 11-19 Ten Lepers
Jesus healed 10 people of Leprosy, only 1 came to thank Him. We should not do things and expect "Thanks", but only do them in hopes and with Love. True love gives with nothing expected in return.
I really get encouraged by this song when I feel like giving up, listen if you wish!
Martina McBride, Anyway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uLtyzRgmyI
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| Maisy and Madelynn in Matching JamJams |
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| Maisy falling asleep reading her Bible... |
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| Maisy Reading her Bible to Robert the SockDoll |
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| Children are God's Gifts They are forever His children and He God entrusts us with them while we are temporarily here on Earth. |
Seeing Maisy's faith art is a big reward for me. It gives me hope in knowing that she is learning what she needs to about what the Bible teaches. I love her art! (4 years old)
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| Drawing to Music May God be your music... |
