Listen: Breakfast listeners share their family mantras
By Duncan RobinsonWednesday 18 Nov 2020Hope BreakfastLifeReading Time: 3 minutes
I feel a little overwhelmed by life. Continuing to learn the art of adulting has enough challenges but raising two children and grappling with being both a good dad and husband can be really overwhelming. So when life seems a little too difficult and the tempest of confusion sets in I dig into something really simple…
How am I doing with my family Mantra?
I wanted a saying that we can point to together as a family and say ‘this is what we stand for’. This is the thing when everything feels a little haywire we can say, ‘yup! OK. Refocus – this is what is most important’.
In the Robinson household (that’s the Duncan one), our mantra is straight forward: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly.
I feel like, when everything feels out of whack, if we can get back to this then we are probably moving in a good direction.
Do justice
Are the things we are getting frustrated about a “justice issue”, in which case, are benevolent and designed to lift up those who are struggling, suffering or disadvantaged or are they issues that will benefit us at the expense of others?
Love mercy
Are we being merciful, compassionate and caring? Are we seeking to care for those around us, in the same way we would hope to be cared for? Can we show grace in this situation? Our goal is to celebrate as much as possible and lavish mercy where we can.
Walk humbly
If you have listened to the Breakfast Show, one might think I fall down a lot here. Perhaps. Humility is looking for the best in others and looking to magnify that. My hope is by selflessly sewing into the hearts and souls of others that they might be better from an encounter with me.
So when life seems a little overwhelming we push in on these ideas. My question is what is your family mantra? Do you have one?
We asked Breakfast listeners and these were their responses…
Hopeland’s Family Mantras
1. Where there is rupture there is opportunity for repair. 2. We can do hard things. –Anna
QTIP – Quit taking it personally! Thanks for the fun guys!! –Marina
Be thankful because every challenge is an opportunity to trust God. –Kayte
Focus on the journey not the destination –Lucy
Don’t count the days. Make the days count. –Sharon
My 10-year-old son was listening in the car and shouted out “calm your farm”. I asked him is that our mantra and he replied ‘yes’. –Anon.
Kindness needs balance and balance needs kindness. Both inwards towards yourself and outwards to others, family, friends, community. –Louise
As the kids were growing up it was play, have fun, finish, pack away. –Robert and Marissa
1 Corinthians 13:4-8. Our family always recite the first two lines when things get crazy chaotic. –Anon.
Family by chance, friends by choice –Marissa
My mantra is ‘Grounded in faith, guided by light’. God Bless. –Janine
Pause: prioritise people. –Deb
Our mantra is ‘speak words that make souls stronger’ by favourite author Ann Voskamp. Have it on the walls upstairs and downstairs! –Danielle
Don’t stress, do your best. –Deb