What I learned this week:  Last week that I talk about the Tao and use the book, The Parent's Tao Te Ching - A new interpretation - ancient advice for modern parents by William Martin. 

49. Giving Respect 

When your children behave, 

give them respect and kindness.

When your children misbehave, 

give them respect and kindness.

When they are hateful, 

love them.

When they betray trust, 

trust them.

The River of Life nurtures 

everything it touches,

Without asking for anything.

You will be happy and content 

if you do the same.

++++++

Believe this difficult truth.  Showing respect in the face of disrespect, love in the face of hate, trust in the face of betrayal, and serenity in the face of turmoil, will teach your children more than all the moral lectures by all the preachers since the dawn of time.” (88)

This is so hard and yet what we are asked ny Jesus Christ.  To show respect even when we don't get it, because that is when it is the hardest and then we really know we can show love no matter what.  

52. All is well 

All beings belong to the Tao 

always.

Sorrow begins

when parents forget this.

Forgetting that you belong, 

you cast about for security 

and cannot find it.  

You look to your children 

to bring you meaning 

and they cannot do it.  

Seeing your pain, 

they forget as well 

and everyone is in darkness.

But if you can remember 

that all is , 

has been 

and will be 

well.  

You will bring light to yourself 

and your children.  

++++++

My father always worried about the future.

I learned his lesson well.

It has taken me years to unlearn and still I forget

What will your children have to unlearn?

How can you begin now to help them?

I love thinking about this idea that all is well.  That we need to remember that we all belong to God, to the Way, and that he cares about us.  It is only when we forget this and search for it in other places that we struggle.  That is why we have light in the first place, from Jesus Christ, reminding us we are part of a greater purpose, that we are part of a family of God.  We are loved and then we are ask to love others in return.  Not try to find meaning or belonging - it is already there.  We simply need to love.  

Which brings me also to the words of the song - Come Come Ye Saints - a song from my faith - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

Come, come, ye Saints, no toil nor labor fear

But with joy wend your way

Though hard to you this journey may appear

Grace shall be as your day

'Tis better far for us to strive

Our useless cares from us to drive

Do this, and joy your hearts will swell

All is well! All is well!

Why should we mourn or think our lot is hard?

'Tis not so, all is right

Why should we think to earn a great reward

If we now shun the fight?

Gird up your loins, fresh courage take

Our God will never us forsake

And soon we'll have this tale to tell

All is well! All is well!

We'll find the place which God for us prepared

Far away in the West

Where none shall come to hurt or make afraid

There the Saints will be blessed

We'll make the air with music ring

Shout praises to our God and King

Above the rest these words we'll tell

All is well! All is well!

And should we die before our journey's through

Happy day! All is well!

We then are free from toil and sorrow, too

With the just we shall dwell!

But if our lives are spared again

To see the Saints their rest obtain

Oh, how we'll make this chorus swell

All is well! All is well!

Happy day! All is well!

All is well!

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Traditional (dp) / Paul Layton Cardall

Come, Come Ye Saints lyrics © Works By Stone Angel Music

Then I also shared this quote from the talk by Elder (now President) Jeffrey R. Holland, Come Unto Me, from BYU Speeches

"Consider, for example, the Savior’s benediction upon his disciples even as he moved toward the pain and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary. On that very night, the night of the greatest suffering the world has ever known or ever will know, he said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you. . . . Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27).

I submit to you that may be one of the Savior’s commandments that is, even in the hearts of otherwise faithful Latter-day Saints, almost universally disobeyed; and yet I wonder whether our resistance to this invitation could be any more grievous to the Lord’s merciful heart. I can tell you this as a parent: As concerned as I would be if somewhere in their lives one of my children were seriously troubled or unhappy or disobedient, nevertheless I would be infinitely more devastated if I felt that at such a time that child could not trust me to help, or should feel his or her interest were unimportant to me or unsafe in my care. In that same spirit, I am convinced that none of us can appreciate how deeply it wounds the loving heart of the Savior of the world when he finds that his people do not feel confident in his care or secure in his hands or trust in his commandments."

Our God wants us to remember that all is well and if it feels like it is not he can help us deal with it.  

71.  Have Confidence 

The confident parent

 is not the one who knows 

how to parent in every situation.  

The confident parent 

is the one who knows 

that knowledge will emerge 

in the midst of the situation.

This parent’s mind 

is free of complications, 

ready to respond without preconceptions.  

This parent will always act rightly.  

+++++++

My confidence is the future for my children and for me exists because I know we are all part of the Tao.  

Come good and bad, life and death, that will always be true.  Somehow I will know when the time comes exactly what to do.

This one I liked, similar theme but not quite.  Be confident to know what to do at the moment can also help us relax a bit instead of worrying.  To be willing to trust that our children are getting the experiences they need.  That things will be hard and difficult and also amazing and fun and not be afraid but to realize God really does have us and his loving kindness.  And we are all getting the experience that we need.  So when things seems bad and you need to know what to do, be confident that you will be guided by God.

This is my last week using this book.  It really is so great.  A book you can pick up and then ponder one chapter and think about for a day, a week or a month.  So many good lessons are within its pages.