It’s been a week. And as always, it was exactly what the Lord had for us.
Parenting is so so so hard. In all the phases. From newborns not sleeping to teenagers trying to gain independence. Then, your children are adults who still need parents…. although they might not admit that.
One of the hardest parts of parenting for me is when my children experience hard things. I just want them to have a perfect life full of sunflowers and happiness. Maybe a little cheering team on the sidelines. Is that too much to ask?
The good Lord tells us in his Word that we WILL experience trials. Not MIGHT. WILL. As we walk with our children through trials, the goal is to point them to God. To His Word. To His plan.
Every child is so different. All 5 of my children are SO different. Three of my children experienced significant hard things this week.
My sweet girls. Are so sad. Chey’s hamster, Prince Sniffy, died last night. Very unexpectedly and very quickly. We still don’t know why. We probably never will. It has been so hard on both the girls. And you know what? It has been so hard on me too. And on Ryan. Because we have to help them absorb the blow. We have to make it bearable for them. And we have to use this and all hard things to point them to Christ. It’s a lot to navigate. But, we have done okay. We have done a lot of praying. A lot of snuggling. And a lot of laughing and crying. Often at the same time. Already I can see that the Lord is using this to knit all of our hearts together. Even more.
Caleb. Is the sweetest. He is so innocent. So vulnerable. This week someone hurt him. But he didn’t even know it. And that is the beauty of Caleb. He is so kind. So loving. So assuming the best. In the Lord’s goodness, he has surrounded Caleb with the fiercest of protectors. And I’m so thankful, because it’s necessary. And we, his protectors, have absorbed this blow for him. And it was so painful. It hurt all of our hearts.
Caleb’s fierce protectors, you know who you are: Thank you for caring about Caleb and for standing up for him. Thank you for making sure that he is safe. Thank you for getting help. But it is time to forgive. Caleb is ok. Better than ok actually. You all made sure of that. And I am so very thankful for each and every one of you.
God has brought this scripture to my mind again and again. And I know why. Because I am tempted to be angry. I am tempted to judge. I am tempted to think that I am better or that my sin is less. But it’s not. It’s just that Jesus paid it all. He absorbed the entire blow for all of our sin, that we would ever commit…..
3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
—-Titus 3:3-8
Sunshine Soldier 