Things that are caught

Years ago I was asking a new friend of mine who was known to have a gift in intersession and prayer to teach me how to really pray and intercede. She said something’s are better caught than taught. She explained to me that I would learn better by spending time with her in prayer, learning by experience and example, much more than she would ever be able to teach or explain with words. She was right, after going to the throne room with her just a few times, I gain great insight and experience that mere words could never have conveyed. I have noticed over the years that in life many things are better "caught than taught". When the Bible tells us our lives are like a living epistle, it is so true. I think parenting and the best kind of teaching come through observation. My beloved Italian momma who died of cancer 18 years ago this spring still impacts my life in many ways by the life she led as my mom. As a teenager, the last thing I wanted to do back in the day was be like my mom. She drove me crazy in so many ways. For instance she was this super obsessive clean freak. Actually I must have driven her crazy. I was one major slob. To this day the only reason I keep a fairly clean house is not because of her nagging. That never made a single dent on my conscious, oophs! What got me finally was living on my own, after only a few weeks of glorious slobville, I found I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t enjoy my messiness because after having lived in her home I couldn’t stand living in filth. Those were her words ;>) I couldn’t believe myself when I began to get all bothered about a clean house. And so the saga continued. My daughters too are messy and I drove them nuts trying to teach them how to keep a fairly neat bedroom. It didn’t work. But I knew one day if I just kept up my end of the deal by example they to would catch the clean thing. Sure enough my daughter Megan’s first quarter away at collage my diligent example paid off. She found herself one day scrubbing down her apartment going on this major cleaning binge , when she realized in the middle of her obsession, she had become her mother!!!!!!!!! We both had a good laugh over that. I was outwardly sympathetic, but inwardly my heart was shouting halleluiah!!! Well 18 years after my mother’s death, I still live a life impacted by her example. As I enter this new stage of grandmother hood, I think of her often and find myself mimicking her ways with my own daughter. Enjoying all the love and support I can lavish on her without overwhelming her. Letting her find her way, but when she asks, I am there with hands wide open. I felt the need this Mother's Day to pay a tribute to my mom. I am still very much gleaning from all her examples that were caught not taught by the life she led and the love she gave so freely. Thanks Mom!