30. The Parenting Moment That Broke the Cycle of Nagging
What If That Irritation Is a Cry for Connection?
Lessons don’t always come wrapped in reverence or revelation.
Sometimes, they come scattered in the middle of the hallway, right where you wish they wouldn’t.
Maybe you've felt it too:
that slow-building frustration that simmers each time your child forgets what you just reminded them about for the third or fourth time.
You don’t want to be a nag.
But the broken-record version of motherhood or fatherhood wears thin,
and you wonder if there’s a better way.
That was me.
My teenage daughter kept putting her shoes right in the middle of the walkway, day after day.
Just two feet to the side and they’d be out of the way.
But there they were again.
And again.
And again.
I like walkways clear.
I like open space.
But more than that, I wanted to stay in praise, not complaint.
So I chose not to grumble.
I didn’t even remind her again.
Instead, I thanked God for the shoes,
for the chance to learn something in the ordinary.
I moved them myself and asked Abba,
"What are You trying to show me?"
When He answered,
it dropped into my spirit like a stone into still water.
She needed more attention from me.
Not out of defiance or even conscious intention.
But in the small, childlike, invisible ways that hearts speak when words fall short.
Her love language is quality time, and mine—well, it's not.
So I had been missing the cues.
She was longing for me,
reaching for me with misplaced shoes,
hoping I'd reach back.
It reminded me of something we learned from an experiment.
We had watched a few videos and decided to test the power of words ourselves.
Three grapes.
Three sandwich bags.
One labeled "I love you."
One, "I hate you."
The last one? "Ignore."
Each day, we spoke the words written on the bags.
We opened the fridge and said,
"I love you," to one,
"I hate you," to another,
and ignored the third.
Two weeks later, the results startled us.
The loved grape turned into a perfect raisin.
The hated one molded halfway.
But the ignored grape?
Completely rotten.
Worse than the hated one.
That day instilled something in my heart:
attention matters.
Even negative attention is chosen over none at all.
So I responded with time.
I gave her undivided presence.
We did what she wanted to do,
not as a chore,
but as a joy.
And on that very first day,
a change unfolded.
The shoes were gone.
Out of the walkway.
In their place.
And they stayed there.
As long as we had that one-on-one time,
the shoes stayed put.
No nagging necessary.
Praise God for showing me that the things that press our nerves may be messages from heaven.
Invitations to lean in.
Opportunities to love deeper.
Reminders to praise,
even for the things we want to correct.
Let us give thanks for every misstep
that leads us closer to each other
and closer to Him.
So the next time a pair of shoes lands where it shouldn’t,
maybe pause before the sigh.
Ask Abba what He’s saying.
There just might be a message waiting in the middle of your walkway.
🎶 Your Turn to Praise
Thank You, Abba, for showing me how even the things that test my patience can lead me back to love. Thank You for revealing truth in the middle of irritation.
Thank You for helping me respond with love before correction, with grace before instruction.
Thank You for letting praise rise in the places I’m tempted to complain.
Thank You for meeting me in the everyday moments and showing me Your ways.
In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.
Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.
Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
~Colossians 3:16–17 NLT
If this met you in a meaningful way, it might meet someone else too.
Feel free to share it with a friend who could use a little encouragement.
This Poll Is Anonymous and I Value Your Opinion :)
The Mission
I believe God has given me a beautiful and humbling assignment: to write a book about the power of praise, how it prepares the way for His miracles in our everyday lives.
This book won’t be mine alone. It’s a shared offering, a woven collection of real stories that reveal just how deeply God meets us when we choose to praise Him, even in the hardest moments.
With each testimony I share, you’ll find a simple survey where you can cast your vote: should this story be included in the book? I’d love to know what speaks to your heart.
And I’d be so honored to hear from you. Have a question or a thought? Feel free to leave a comment or message me directly. And if you have a praise testimony of your own, I’d love to read it! Your story could be the one that brings someone else the hope they’ve been waiting for.
Let’s build this book together, for His glory and for the encouragement of our Brothers and Sisters around the world.
Because when we praise Him, we shine light into dark places. And when we share that light, it multiplies.
Let’s give the world more hope. One testimony at a time.
I love this! Thank you for showing us this example of parenting and leaning into your heavenly Father. Well done, Kara.
I love your story about the grapes!