Longsuffering

An evergreen tree with a dusting of snow

Longsuffering. It’s the phrase that I underlined in my scriptures this week.

At the time I couldn’t see why the word was important. But now I’m thinking, and God is becoming clear.

Every night lately, I find myself praying for Lucy. She’s three years old: precocious, preferential, silly, and—dare I say—volatile?

Her favorite phrases are:

  • “I just CAN’T WAIT!”
  • “But I WANT tooo!”
  • “I don’t want to be alooooooone*,”
  • and “Auuuuughhhhhhhhh!!!”  

I’m not sure how to respond. We’ve tried empathy, boundaries, sticker charts. Rational words at eye level. Time-outs. Yelling (not recommended). Laughing it off. Singing it off.

Sometimes it works.

Most of the time, we spend the day troubleshooting rampant whining.

And then I find myself underlining “longsuffering” and wondering why. Huh. Like maybe the longsuffering example of Jesus Christ might help me to practice longsuffering in my home?

This is why I read scriptures.

Alma 7:23, from a Book of Mormon sermon

I still don’t have a silver bullet for whining and tantrums, but I know that I have Heavenly Parents who know what it’s like to suffer long with their children (Jacob 5), and I know that we are not alone in our parenting efforts.

Longsuffering may be the answer for now—we’ll keep trying, tantrum after tantrum, to cultivate goodness and sanity in little hearts and in our home.

* * *

How is the word of God helping you with real-life problems? We are blessed when you share your faith (and His saving grace)!

Know someone who would like this post?
Please share it!

Jenny Harris
Jenny is a star-gazing, book-clubbing mother of two. She has a Master’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies, which is mildly comical (but also a boon in parenting and relationships). Her kids will attest that she’s crazy about reading aloud, time out of doors, and creative play. Her family’s goal is the “abundant life,” as prescribed by Jesus. You can read more posts by Jenny here.

Let’s connect!

Keep Reading

Share Your Thoughts

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Psst! Want all the best memory keeping secrets?

Join the VIP club to get a once-a-month newsletter full of resources, exclusive offers, and fun surprises. Also, no spam, because eww.

Looking for Our Prosaic Life?

Don’t worry, you’re in the right spot! Our Prosaic Life has merged with Jest Kept Secret. We’re excited to bring you lots more of the content you know and love!

Personally, we're big fans of good ol' chocolate chip, but we do use digital cookies to improve your experience with Jest Kept Secret and help the website function smoothly. If you continue to use this site, we'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt out at any time. For more information, please see our privacy policy.