What your cup is filled with is what pours out of you. Picture this: you are walking along carrying a cup filled with coffee, someone bumps into you, and you spill your coffee. When asked why you spilled your coffee you may initially respond, “Because you bumped into me,” but that is not the correct answer. You spilled coffee because your cup was filled with coffee. If your cup had been filled with water, that’s what would have spilled. Whatever is inside the cup is what is going to come out when it is bumped. Jesus speaks to this very idea in the book of Matthew. In Matthew 12:34, he says, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Just like the coffee cup, whatever is inside of us is what is going to come out; especially when we’re bumped and life gets rocky.
When life happens to you, what pours out of you? What is your reaction? How do you respond?
November brings so much opportunity to consider this area of our lives. It is the month where we pause and reflect on what we are thankful for. It is a month where we gather with our family and friends for a don’t-hold-back feast. It is the calm before the hustle and bustle that December brings. Moms, it is an opportunity to get our children positioning their hearts on gratitude, on God’s goodness, on our thankfulness for His grace. We can be the catalyst in building a healthy muscle memory for our children to lean on, so when life does go sideways, what pours out of them comes from a grateful heart.
We can use this month as an opportunity to teach our children to reflect on their blessings daily. One practice we have done in our home is everyone takes turns going around the dinner table sharing what they are thankful for each day in the month of November. These reflections will vary based on the ages of your children. I remember my eldest’s biggest blessing one day was how thankful he was for toilet paper (he was four at the time). The eruption in laughter after he shared his thoughts is a core memory of mine to this day, and his! What we have come to see from this little exercise was not only did we grow to look forward to one another’s insight, but it became a habit that extended well past November and for many years after. Each child looked forward to sharing things they were grateful for, and as their understanding grew so did the depths of their answers. It has evolved over time, and we now extend it to birthdays where each person takes a turn sharing what we love and are grateful for about that family member.
Practicing gratitude has such a positive effect on your health as well. Feelings of gratitude can regulate your cortisol production. It has been proven to reduce anxiety and stress. It will signal the brain to release hormones like dopamine and serotonin associated with happiness. I also believe it will teach our children that there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for no matter the type of day we have. Some days may be so hard, they may need to dig deep, but they will look for something to be grateful for. Their answer may be a made bed, a hot shower or simply put…. toilet paper, but there is always something to be grateful for. We are laying the groundwork moms and creating healthy habits, helping our children have cups filled with gratitude.
1Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ
