May: "Holiness" w/ Little Ones
Did you know that some biblical scholars believe that in Jesus’ time, a slap to the right cheek with the back of the right hand was an insulting gesture implying that someone was socially inferior?
When Jesus taught people to “turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39), He was not necessarily teaching people to accept abuse or believe they had no worth. Some scholars believe He was describing a nonviolent way to reject both humiliation and revenge. By turning the other cheek, the person refused to respond with violence, but also signaled: “I am still your equal in worth and dignity” (Judd, Daniel K).
Charity, the pure love of Christ, does not mean being a doormat (Matt. 22:39), but having a heart that desires the best for other people, especially those who hurt or irritate us. Compassion is a gift from God and often easier to access when we’ve stepped away from continued harm and protected our hearts (Prov. 4:23).
As parents, we can help our children learn that charity is more than acts of service or sacrifice. It’s receiving Christ's compassionate love for ourselves and others in our imperfection (D&C 67:13).
Love is the sign of a true follower of Jesus (John 13:35), who showed us that we are all worthy of compassion (2 Ne. 26:24).
Daniel K Judd, “‘Resist Not Evil’: The Supreme Test of Christian Discipleship,” inThe Sermon on the Mount in Latter-day Scripture, ed. Gaye Strathearn, Thomas A. Wayment, and Daniel L. Belnap (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2010), 1–23.
Our Family’s “Love” Jesus Celebration 🎉
This month, I created some simple, multi-sensory, heart-centered ways to help our family explore the principle of love as a state of the heart and a gift from Jesus.
Below are a few of the ways we experienced it together (not all on the same day).
1. Reflection Questions — Storytelling Magic
We shared stories about what our relationship with Christ has felt like and helped our 6-year-old recognize moments of her own relationship growing.
Us Parents: We both reflected aloud on this question:
When have we felt Christ's unconditional love or His help extending it to someone who has hurt us?
Our child:We shared a specific time she showed kindness/respect in spite of someone being hurtful and said she was being like Jesus.We also emphasized how great it was that she stood up for herself and got help. She glowed after the positive feedback.
2. Create & Taste — Love Snack Necklaces
Use: Cheerios or pretzels
String
As we threaded pieces on, we shared things we loved about ourselves and each other.
We mentioned Jesus taught to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt 22:39).
3. Children's Book — Heartfelt Learning
We enjoyed reading The Rabbit Listened, by Cori Doerrfeld. It is a great book for showing, not telling, how to offer love in a way that is respectful. Choosing connection over control! Such an important principle in relationships and parenting.
To set the tone, we added a theme to the banner we reuse each month:
“Jesus Helps Me Love Myself and Others.” Sign up for the e-letters below to receive this free in the next e-letter.
