Bedtime Blessings: Nurturing Faith Through Good-Night Kisses

How powerful is a good-night kiss?  Bedtime blessings help nurture faith in the hearts of our children. Prayers whispered in the night give our children hope and reassurance that God sees them, loves them and has a good plan for their future.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Finding God's Plan
• 12:58 The Importance of Bedtime Rituals
• 19:42 Building Trust and Connection in Parenting

Transcript

Audrey McCracken: 1:13

Hello friends, welcome back to Grace From A Home. I'm so glad to be back with you guys again this week and I'm so thankful to be able to come to you and just encourage you in your walk with the Lord, in your work as a mom, in just your faith in general. I'm so thankful that you trust me enough to come back each week and listen to my words and hopefully get inspired in the calling that God has put on your life, and I truly do believe that motherhood is a calling and being a wife is a calling and being a child of God is a calling. He called us and whatever he has called us to do, he promises to give us the grace to do it. Now, in my life, one of my struggles has always been finding exactly what God wants me to do. What is he asking of me? There are so many good things that we can do, so many good things that we can do that need to be done, but the most important question is Lord, what have you asked me to do? See, I'm a planner and I love to sit down with a fresh notebook, a pen, a cup of coffee, and I can plan out my whole year. I enjoy that part. It's the doing it part that is hard for me. You know, in my mind I can have a perfect plan, but you know it doesn't always work that way when you start to put the plan into action and one of the most important questions is is this God's plan, is this what he has asked of me? And you know, we pray to the Lord and I believe the Lord answers us. He answers us in many different ways. I believe he speaks to us, he speaks to our hearts, he lets us know when we're on the right track and, thankfully, he lets us know when we're on the wrong track. But it's so important to ask him what is your plan, lord? What is your plan for me? Because we can have wonderful plans and there are good plans to do good things, but they may not be what he has asked of us.

Audrey McCracken: 3:29

And this is an area where I struggle in. I think we all struggle in this area. You know, none of us have cornered the market on hearing from God. None of us have a direct, unhindered line of communication with the Lord. You know you do not hear everything exactly when you pray it, how you pray it.

Audrey McCracken: 3:50

You know this is a walk, it's a journey and we live down here on earth and he is in heaven, and so our communication with him is often full of distraction, things that we want that aren't necessarily what he wants for us, things that other people have put on us that are not necessarily what he's asking of us, and we have to work that out. It's part of working out our salvation is getting in there and finding out, lord, what are you asking of me? And help me to get in that. Help me to get right in the center of what your will is for my life at this time. And, guys, I'm not going to lie, that's not easy. I struggle with that and I know others who do too, and I think, if we're all honest, we all struggle in that area. If we truly are seeking the Lord's plan for our lives and I hope that's what we're seeking I hope that's what you're seeking and I hope that's what I'm seeking but he has a good plan for us and we have to to figure that out. We have to get in there and work with him and listen to him and pray and you know, and humble ourselves and listen to what he is saying, and that's just part of walking with the Lord and none of us have it figured out.

Audrey McCracken: 5:08

You know, I, sometimes, when I, when I hear people who talk and they make it sound like they've got all the answers, I'm I'm leery of those people. I really am, because I think only Jesus has all the answers. You know, if you have it all together and you hear everything perfectly from God and you know that all your doctrine is perfect and all short up and and it's all packaged up with a pretty bow on top, then I really don't know that I can learn anything from you, because I know, just because I've been me for how many years I've been me that I'll never have it all together. And so I seem to be drawn towards those like me who are just trying to figure it out, who are just stumbling across things and think, oh things, and think, oh, that's how God works. Oh, he hasn't forgotten me, he hasn't left me because I don't get it right every day. So when I come to you each week, I just want you to understand that it's okay not to have it all together. It's actually ideal, because if we have it all together, then we no longer need the Lord, we're no longer having to lean on Him because we don't need Him. We got it all together right.

Audrey McCracken: 6:30

Often it feels like I learn more by my mistakes and that I do better when I am desperate. I do better when I am very aware of my inability to do anything well outside of Him, and it causes me to pray, it causes me to draw near to Him and say Lord, I am just a mess, I really need your help, and so I want to just talk with you today about one thing. I don't want to throw everything at you today. I thought what is one thing that I can share with the ladies who listen to me today and just encourage them, because I have felt that when I've been in the middle of hard times or stressful times, that if I can just get one nugget and not be overloaded with 10 things I need to do, but if I can just find one thing that would help me where I am, then that brings me hope. I feel like, okay, I can do that one thing.

Audrey McCracken: 7:27

For example and this is just an example there are days when I just feel yucky. I'm trying to lose weight. I am trying and I'm not being very successful at it, but I'm heading in that direction slowly, and there are days and I just feel like I haven't done anything good for me today, anything good for my body today, and the one thing that I'll do is go get a glass of water because that's something I can do, not necessarily something that I want to do, but I know what's good for my body and I know my body needs it. And you know, if you can't do but one thing, do one thing that heads you in the right direction. And today I want to talk to you about one thing that, in my mama walk, has been helpful for me and reaching the goals that I have of being a mom to my kids and reaching their hearts for Jesus. And it's just one little thing that has been a great tool and it seems like nothing and can often be overlooked, but I just want to encourage you in it today, and that is good night kisses.

Audrey McCracken: 8:40

Good night kisses are extremely powerful. Now, that sounds like an oxymoron, I know, that sounds like a complete contradiction, I know, but it's very true. No, we sometimes are looking for the big thing. Right, let me find the book. If I read this book, I'll have it all figured out. Or let me put together an elaborate plan, and if I do everything and check off all of the boxes, then everything will work out okay. But sometimes it's just the one little thing that is so powerful, because it's so simple and it opens up a door for us that we wouldn't expect. And I have found that good night kisses is one of those doors.

Audrey McCracken: 9:31

And what I mean by that is that when we start a habit of tucking our kids to bed which usually is something we're doing anyway, right, but when we start intentionally using that time, that little bit of time, to sew into our children, to connect with their hearts, then it does more than reading 100 books. Just that one little thing. See, at night we're usually exhausted, right, our kids, hopefully. They're tired too, so they'll go to sleep not always, but we usually mama by that time, by the time it's time to put them to bed, we're exhausted, we just want to get them in bed, and I hear 100 amens out there. But there's something special about that time, see, that is like the end of the day, and for some reason there's something about the end of the day when they're a little more tired. They worked out some energy that it opens up their hearts to us. And as we're putting them to bed. We can take advantage of that opportunity to bless them, to love them, to connect our hearts with them.

Audrey McCracken: 10:56

You know, guys, to be completely transparent with you, I am not, or I have not traditionally been, a very loving or nurturing person. My husband will tell you this he is a lot more nurturing than I am, and when, when my first son, david, was born, I was actually a little jealous because my husband just seemed to know what to do, I just did not feel loving. I didn't feel like I had that, mama Jean, and so I often felt like I was doing it wrong. But I learned that being nurturing, being loving, showing that affection and that touch, really is a skill that can be learned. And you might say well, why would I want to learn that? Why do I need to learn that? Because your little ones need that and they need it from you. And no matter where you are on the scale, whether you're nurturing or not nurturing, you can always grow more nurturing. It opens up your child's heart to you, because that is a need that we all have, especially little ones. And as I started learning how to be more nurturing, more loving, more gentle, I realized that my kids responded to me much better because I was meeting a need that they had, and it's one of those things that once you see it like, once you see they respond so much better to me when I know how to respond to them in a loving way, that's all the encouragement that we need to grow more in that area, because as I saw it working and I saw them responding to me better then it made me want to be more loving in response. So good night kisses is a wonderful time to show that tenderness.

Audrey McCracken: 12:59

I remember when my boys were little. I would climb in the bed with them. I would give each of them as much time as I could. Some nights you have more than others, some nights you have more time, some nights you have more patience, some nights you have more energy, but I would eat each of them. I would try to give them a few minutes. When they were very little I would rock them, but as they got their own beds and as they grew up, I would just spend a few minutes with them and I would kiss them and pray with them, tell them how much I love them, and it was a way to end the day on a positive note, and that was especially helpful on days that were not good days, because nobody wants to go to bed when it's been a bad day and sleep on that and so having a time at the end of the day to kind of end on a good note, I found that to be so helpful in our relationship.

Audrey McCracken: 13:59

If I had lost my temper that day, it gave me an opportunity to apologize. It gave me an opportunity to say Mama blew it, I'm so sorry, will you please forgive me. And you know what, how much does it melt your heart when they look at you with those big eyes and say I forgive you, mama. And it gives you an opportunity to reconnect with their hearts. And I must say that it can be very humbling at the same time, because there were times that I needed to forgive my children. No, I never told them that.

Audrey McCracken: 14:40

But kids can say things that hurt, and I know I'm the adult, right. I mean, we know we're the mom, we're supposed to be the adult one, but sometimes they say things intentionally to hurt us. And this was a lot harder for me when I was home with them all day, you know, if they said something like that and I'm dropping them off to go to work. Then it was easier for me because I could get to work and tell the ladies I work with and you know we would laugh about it and say, would you believe what he said today? And you know, and I'd be fine.

Audrey McCracken: 15:11

But when you're in the house all day with these three little ones and one of them says something really hurtful, just to see how you respond, and you're there with them all day and you're pouring out your life for them, and that can be really hurtful. And nobody ever told me that. Right, I just thought, wow, I'm upset at a four-year-old. I mean, how childish am I? But as time went on and I saw I don't have to take that offense and at the end of the day we can all settle up and end on a good note. That was helpful for me and just being able to tell somebody that was helpful for me. Just being able to tell you know my husband or somebody else you know my kids hurt my feelings sometimes help me to mature. And when you tell your friends things like that and then they tell you I know that happened to me too that makes you not feel like a monster, if that makes sense, and so I'm telling you these things so you'll see that these things are very normal.

Audrey McCracken: 16:17

A lot of people go through the same things. So at night, when you have that opportunity to kind of put everything aside and love on each other, give them the love they need, give them the affection they need, you know you forgive them, even if it's just in your heart. Ask them to forgive you. You know and I'm not talking about dredging up the past or bad things that happen that day, you know that's not necessary. It's just if you need to say forgive me. Say forgive me and move on.

Audrey McCracken: 16:49

And I also loved it because it's an excellent way to Pray. It's an excellent time to pray for your, for your child, when their heart is open to the things of the Lord, and Pray scriptures over your children. And it was helpful because I would go to all three of them and I'd usually pray the same scripture over all three of them. That would just be something that that night I felt on my heart and I'd pray scripture over them and I'd remind them God has a good plan for you, honey. I can't wait to see what he's gonna do in your life. You know where he's gonna put you and what, how you're gonna serve the Lord, and that builds hope and faith and Purpose and in our children's hearts that they know that they're not an accident, that God has a good plan for them.

Audrey McCracken: 17:32

And there may be a doubt that rises up in your heart. Well, what if it's not a good plan? What if God has a hard plan for their life? They are gonna face hard times. They are gonna face things in this world that are not pleasant, but God is good and we can confidently say God has a good plan for your life. He chose you before the foundation of the world to be before him in love. It says in 1st Corinthians 2 9. I has not seen, ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man that things that God has prepared for those who love him. So he has prepared good things for us and our children and we're not just getting their hopes up by telling them that we're helping their faith grow.

Audrey McCracken: 18:20

And that time at night, that time right before bed, those good night kisses, that's a time to help ease their fears. A lot of times at night or when the fears pop up, the things that they worry about, just because they're little doesn't mean they don't have real fears, and that time with them gives us an opportunity To talk about those fears, to pray with them about those fears, to help relieve some of their fears, just to help them see that somebody cares. No, I just see that time, that special time at night when you get to end the day with them on a positive note, as an Opportunity to show them somebody cares about me. I'm important, my life matters, the things I care about matter, my fears matter, and it helps them to see you as their safe place, as their friend, as the one who cares about them and the one who prays for them, and it builds that relationship that is so important, especially as they get older and they know that they can come and bring you things, even Even hard things, even things that you're not gonna like. They know you're still a safe place to bring those things, and that's what we want.

Audrey McCracken: 19:43

We want them to be able to trust us, to know we're a safe person and that we're on their side and that that we are a gift from God to them to help them on their walk, to help them in their faith. And that's what we do. Mom is right, that's who we are. We're their friend, we are their God-given mama to walk this life of faith with them so that, when we're not there, they know the way, they know the path. We've taught them the path, and Good night kisses is a wonderful tool in your toolbox To do that, to train them in the way to go. And it's so simple. And Let me just end on this note Don't let it be a burden.

Audrey McCracken: 20:27

Let it be a blessing. Let it be something that you get to do, not something you have to do. If there are nights and it's just like I cannot go in that room and do that with a good attitude, don't go. Don't put that burden or my burden on you. You know, pray about it, ask the Lord for grace, Ask the Lord for strength, ask him for your, for his gentleness to help you do that and to do it well.

Audrey McCracken: 20:53

And if you have to start with just one night a week, pick the best night that works for you. You know, maybe that is Saturday night or Friday night, when you don't have to get up the next morning, or whenever it is. Just start. Just start and let it be a joy, a joy for you, a joy for them, and don't drag it out. You know, if it's just five minutes, a kid, and the Lord will give you grace. The Lord will help you if that's the desire of your heart.

Audrey McCracken: 21:23

And let me tell you, this is just a little hint, a little something that has helped us in our home, and if it doesn't fit with you, throw it away. You know, if it doesn't fit, if the shoe doesn't fit, don't wear it right and God will show you other ways that work for you and your family. But this is just one little thing that has helped me to bond with my boys' hearts and even today I can see the fruit of it. I can see that heart connection that the Lord has helped me build. And it's not perfect and it's not foolproof, it's all by grace.

Audrey McCracken: 21:56

Right Now, just to let you know, I cannot do that this these days and times, I still have one who will let me lay down with him and tell him good night and kiss him good night. The other two they do not want their mama laying down with them, but I can go in and kiss them on the forehead and pray for them and tell them I love them, but usually they're going to bed after me these days. So they. I really love it when they come in and tell me good night, but they don't always do that either. So there's a short window. There's a short window and I encourage you to use it for for what God has asked of you, and I know that He'll give you enough grace.

Audrey McCracken: 22:38

Father, I thank you that when we feel like we can't do everything, that you'll help us to at least do something, lord, that you'll help us in the set of retreat, put one foot in front of the other in the right direction, and I pray, god, for grace for us. I pray for strength in our bodies and our minds that we would be able to do the work of the Lord in our homes and see it as a calling, as a high calling, as the high calling of motherhood. Father, thank you, lord, for calling us, thank you for giving us, lord, everything we need to do the work that you've asked of us in our homes, and we thank you for it, lord, and we say yes in Jesus' name, amen.