The other morning I was rushing around trying to get ready while my four-year-old was standing in my bathroom, asking me questions. He watched me use my eye lash curler, and then he tried it himself. As we were chit-chatting about all my beauty products and what they do, he said out of the blue, “Mama, your eyes are pretty and your ear wax tastes good!” I tried hard not to laugh, because I knew he had just tried to craft his words into a statement of love. “Thanks, buddy, I really appreciate it”.
Lately I’ve noticed his efforts to connect with me. Recently when I got ready to go out with his daddy for a rare date-night, he said I looked “beauuutiful”. My son is very verbal. He has always been unafraid to talk to people when we are out and about. The first question he asks every morning when he wakes up is, “who are we gonna see?” The wirings God infused in him for enjoying people are already evident. He relishes creative conversations with his dad and I, and he longs for restoration with us when we have to correct him.
But the other day he brought tears to my eyes as I recognized something important he was learning, and in turn teaching me. I had been sick for a few days, and he was enjoying the novelty of playing with my cough drops. While I was getting him and his little brother packed up in the car for a grocery trip, he ran back into the house and stuffed a bunch of cough drops into his pocket. I was a little annoyed because I was trying to get us out the door. On the way to the store he must have asked a hundred times if I needed a cough drop. My repeated “no thank you” turned into, “I’m fine. You don’t need to ask me anymore!”
I got them in the cart, into the store, and we were finally making progress. And then I started coughing…..
“Mama, do you need a cough drop?”
I accepted it…..and yet another. And I realized how much I needed his little act of love. In my heart I stopped and thanked God for my son’s display of something God has been impressing upon me. Then I remembered the verse that just days before, I found myself studying in a coffee shop.
1 John 3:18
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue,
but with actions and in truth.”
I tell my boys how much I love them all the time. I tell my husband, too. I love connecting with people through meaningful conversations, and reaching out with my words is not a struggle for me. But putting actions behind my love is something I don’t always find easy.
Watching my son move from verbally telling me how he felt about me, to choosing to act on his feelings was one of the most surprising and humbling moments I’ve had as a mom. Active love stopped me in my tracks and it challenged me.
We tend to emphasize loving acts that are big, for all eyes to see. But sometimes the smaller ones are the most meaningful…..like a little hand holding out a cough drop at just the right moment.
By Kristin Gordley, Moments In the Story
Leave a Comment
Verna says
A gift to all Mothers, thank you!
Rachael @ Mommy, LCSW says
Love it! That is so sweet! It’s amazing what God teaches us thru our kids!
Kelley Mansfield says
That was absolutely beautiful! thank you for sharing!
anon says
Thanks that was really special,im not a mom by i had a relative give me a card and i got a call that meant alot..many are the children of the desolate i suppose God shows us love in weird ways, so cute
Kristin Gordley says
Anon,
We do receive love in surprising ways! Praying you feel His love today.
anon says
Actions speak louder then words i suppose
Shauna says
Kristin,
The Lord is such a gentle and effective Teacher in the classroom of motherhood. It’s a precious and unforgettable story. Thanks for sharing it.
Shauna
Kristin Gordley says
Thank you! I’m so grateful He chooses to teach us through such creative ways!
Gwen says
What a picture of love
Bev Duncan @ Walking Well With God says
Kristin,
What a beautiful story of love in action. Leave it to our kids to give illustration to God’s words. Thanks for sharing!
Blessings,
Bev
Shawnna Childress says
This is such great insight. May we all be as loving as our sons in our actions towards others, looking at how we may serve them through love throughout the day.
Love And Cough Drops | Moments In The StoryMoments In The Story says
[…] So head on over to the (in)courage link to view my blog post, “Love And Cough Drops” – https://aws.incourage.me/?p=56847 […]
MARTA says
It says in the Bible that we should train our children and bring them up in God’s
ways. I believe that if we were to listen to our children more ,we would be blessed
in ways God wants ALL of us to learn.
Kristin Gordley says
So true!
Julie Sunne says
Your son sounds delightful, Kristin! The power of little acts of love beautifully learned and conveyed through this sweet story. Thank you.
Leese says
What a precious story!
Back when I taught at a private school our staff all read The Five Love Languages for Kids and we were challenged to figure out what the primary love language was for each of our students – both the one they expressed love with and most received love from (since they’re not always the same).
It was an interesting exercise even with kids that weren’t “ours” – and it’s been interesting to watch those same kids all these years later and see that those budding ways of expressing love back in early elementary school are, in most cases, the ways that they still most express love today.
This specific story with your son could be an interesting one to come back to down the road and see if him wanting to serve you in this way is something he still tends toward!
Kristin Gordley says
Thank you for the valuable insight and book recommendation! I can’t wait to see what God has for my boys down the road.
Teresa Dumadag says
That’s so sweet! Reminds me of my very active and sweet four year old in our house, too. 🙂
Beth Williams says
I tell people I love them all the time. I realize I must also use actions behind those words. People hear things & noises coming at them all day, but it is the actions behind those words that really mean something & stick with us.
Thanks for a great post!
Erin says
Beautiful. As a momma to a sweet, sweet 3-year-old, I can relate. My son is extremely verbal and very conversational as well. Thanks for this – I will remember.
Mary Eddy says
Sooo sweet! I’m touched. It brought tears to my eyes. Thank God, just before reading your blog, my daughter, a teenager, just returned from a school trip to Wonderland, brought me a slice of the chocolate cheesecake from Starbucks. A kind and thoughtful act. Though she is a loving child, the teenage years were marring the thoughtfulness at times.
Once again it reminded me that she loved and cared for me.
Kristin Gordley says
What a precious gift from your daughter!!! Blessings to you 🙂
Patty O says
I love your story! What a sweet and thoughtful little man you have! Thank you for sharing his love and your lesson! It’s such a good reminder for us all – to take the time to appreciate the little things.
I wrote about another sort of love – my husbands love of teaching Math and how proud of him I am…if you have a moment check it out: http://athankfullyimperfectwoman.com/2013/05/31/kudos-to-20-years-of-teaching-math/
Thank you again for sharing! May we all be reminded of these acts of love.
Kristin Gordley says
Thank you and I would love to check out your blog post about your husband 🙂
Lessons Learned in 3D — Reserved | 3dLessons4Life's Blog says
[…] Kristin at Moments in the Story wrote a beautiful guest post titled “Love and Cough Drops” for (in) courage that explained how we must put love into action. (If you are a mom, you will […]
Pat Clark says
I went to visit my 3 year old great granddaughter whom I do not get to see very often
The visit was very short she hugged me and kissed me and showed me some of her pretty things. Then she got real serious and asked “Where is Grandaddy” I told her he was at home working in his garden. She got real serious again she said” will you please tell him I love him?” I just thought that was so grown up for a just turned 3 year old to be so concerned with telling her Granddaddy she loved him!
Kristin Gordley says
That is so precious. It’s amazing how early they can understand the concept of love!
Love in Action | itsawonderfilledlife says
[…] again my guest post comes from (in)courage (https://aws.incourage.me/2013/05/love-and-cough-drops.html). This time written by By Kristin Gordley (Moments In the Story). I have included the completed […]
Tea on Tuesdays: Blog Posts We Love {6.11.13} says
[…] Love and Cough Drops —> (in)courage what I love about this: “I love connecting with people through meaningful conversations, and reaching out with my words is not a struggle for me. But putting actions behind my love is something I don’t always find easy.” […]