Early in my time as a momma I read some wonderful advice on calming a cranky child or influencing a mood shift in general towards a happier one- add water. It’s worked countless times, and I’ve shared that before in this space.
At some point later came a different advice, still with water but deeper- wash their feet.
I can’t say I’ve used that advice as much as I have the add water one. My “big kid” has had a lot of baths and showers in his life to influence a shift in attitude. It’s not always I will take the time to wash their feet, probably because it shifts my mood. Sometimes I am stuck in my own mood and projecting, or influencing, my children to turn sour themselves. It’s much easier to “fix” the kids attitudes by putting them in water and keep my own bad one.
Washing someone’s feet is humbling. Jesus washed the disciples feet. He showed us his own humility that he would take the place of a servant by washing their feet before he would take the place of our sins on the cross.
My youngest is loud. She’s the only girl, and she screams. She usually doesn’t cry, it is very much a scream. Recently she had been screeching all day and I was exasperated. She’s a baby, 16 months. There’s only so much I can do. I plopped her up on the bathroom cabinet and dangled her feet into the sink. She giggled as I washed her little feet in the sink. Both our moods shifted, she screamed less, and I no longer felt like screaming.
Thank you Jesus for the demonstration not only on the cross but also before.
Thank you for foot washing, water, and the ability to shift our moods.
