Take A Knee

This past Sunday, my wife was out of town, and I showed up at church alone. My second son and his wife were sitting on the pew in front of me with seven children, all under the age of eight. On my bench behind them were four of my grandchildren — and let’s just say my pew looked more like a popcorn machine than a chapel bench. Popping, giggling, bouncing — pure, joyful chaos.

Halfway through the meeting, one of my granddaughters decided she needed the drawing pad her cousin was using. Not later. Not soon.

“No! I want it right now!” she screamed.

I told her softly that she’d have to wait her turn.

That went over like gasoline on a campfire.

Within seconds, it was a full-throttle four-year-old meltdown — shrieking, kicking, tears flying. I gently picked her up and took her out to the foyer, trying to reason with her: we have to wait our turn, we can’t throw tantrums, it’s okay to be patient.

But logic didn’t work. Her fury only intensified.

And then it hit me — she didn’t need correction; she needed connection.

So I dropped to one knee.

Eye to eye. Heart to heart.

I said softly, “I love you. I see you. What can we do? Let’s get a bigger screen for you.”

She blinked. Her little shoulders dropped. The storm had passed.

I hugged her, took her over to the chalkboard, and she whispered, “Thank you,” before starting to draw.

That moment reminded me:

The ultimate human need isn’t to be right — it’s to be seen and heard.

We all crave that, don’t we? To be acknowledged. To be understood. To feel seen.

So here’s the cheat code — whether you’re with your kids, grandkids, or anyone really:

Drop to your knee.

Get on their level.

Meet their eyes.

Let them feel expressed.

Do you like being looked down on? Neither do they.

If you’d like to learn a powerful communication tool I call “Send and Receive,” message me. It’s the best thing I’ve learned in 15 years about how to listen, reflect, and connect at a heart level.

Remember: kneeling isn’t a sign of weakness — it’s the posture of real strength.

If this message resonated with you, I invite you to take a knee this week. Look someone in the eye.  See them. Hear them.

I would love to hear about your experience.

Practicing the art of presence, one knee at a time,

Rich Christiansen