Last Friday night was the best night I’ve had with my husband
in a very long time! We have been long overdue for a date night, and my upcoming 30th birthday gave us even
more of a reason to reserve an entire night for just the two of us. So, thanks to my sweet in-laws, we were
childless for roughly 19 hours.
Going to the movies was fun.
It had been a long time since we had been to the theater, and I had been
dying to see “Lincoln” since it first came out in November. Dinner was fabulous. Sushi is our fave. Mmm…still thinking about how good it
tasted. But really, the best part of the
night was when we got home. We sat on
the couch…turned on some background music (Mumford and Sons Pandora station—always
a good choice)…and we talked…and talked…and talked…for a couple hours! It was wonderful and much needed.
So why am I telling you all this? Well, our conversation that night, at one
point, parked on the subject of parenting.
I am going to be terribly truthful with you. Sometimes, I am so ridiculously
judgmental. I’m not proud of this. In fact, I am ashamed, but I am real…so here
we go. I got off on a tangent about
certain parents we know, and some of the things they do (or don’t do) that I
would never dream of doing (or not doing) with our own children. How can “So-And-So” think it’s okay to listen
to that kind of music when her 3-year old is in the car? Or “So-And-So” certainly can’t expect their
kids to see the importance of going to church if they aren’t willing to make it
a priority themselves!
Thankfully, I have a husband who knows exactly how to gently
bring me back to the place where I need to be.
He reminded me that we have plenty of shortcomings, ourselves, as
parents, and that we have no right to judge others. He reminded me that we ALL struggle with
something, if not several things. And
when it comes to parenting, let’s just be honest—it’s extremely tough to be
consistent 100% of the time.
His humble point brought me back to something we talked
about that week in my Bible study. We’re
going through Genesis, and for the past couple weeks, we’ve been studying the
life of Isaac. Some of you may be
familiar with him. But if you’re not, he
is a man who not only trusted God, but truly sought Him. Over and over again, scripture tells us of
times where Isaac did exactly what God told him to do. He was humble. He was righteous. (Genesis, chapters
21-28—check it out…it’s good stuff!)
However, like every other human being that has walked the
face of this earth (other than Jesus, of course), he messed up. He didn’t just mess up…he committed some
horrible acts towards members of his own family; even his children. He did things that you or I would never dream
of doing. For example, he favored Esau,
the older of his twin sons, to the point where he attempted to scheme against
his other son, Jacob. He tried to rob
Jacob of the blessing that God had already promised him.
How can someone who was known for being such a follower of
God do something like that? The answer:
he was human. And just like you and me,
he had strengths…but he also had weaknesses.
This story was an incredible reminder to me that when I am quick to
judge other parents for the areas where I think they are failing miserably, I
should stop. Instead, I should see them
as just another parent, who like me, wants desperately to raise their children
to know Jesus and follow Him throughout their lives.
I’m also thankful for the story of Isaac because it assures
me that even when I mess up, God can still use me. As someone put it at our Bible study that
week, “God remains faithful to His promises, regardless of our shortcomings.” And He does.
The men and women we read about throughout the Bible are constant
reminders of that. God continually used
flawed people to do amazing things…and He still does. And nothing is more amazing than having the
opportunity to raise up a child, teaching him/her about the incredible God who
created us and loves us unconditionally.
So let this encourage you.
We all know our weaknesses. We
all get discouraged sometimes, thinking we are doing a terrible job. But know that regardless of your failures,
God can still use you. After all, it’s
“in the striving,” right? You will never
be perfect. But God does command us to
teach our children about Him, and He gives us practical ways to do that in
every day moments together. So, here is
a guideline God gives us when it comes to raising our families…strive to follow
this:
“Hear, O Israel:
The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that
I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to
your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you
walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them
as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You
shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” -Deuteronomy 6: 4-9
And when you do mess up (because you will), dust yourself
off, and keep going!
Comments
Post a Comment