Who Else Wants Clear Direction?

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I blew it. 

Days of swimming through murky teenage “stuff” paired with this new stage of parenting resulted in my not-so-pretty meltdown.

Late the same evening I found myself on the edge of my teen’s bed.   His now huge 6 foot, 15 year-old frame had his back turned towards me as my quivering words spilled out, “I’m so sorry. I blew it. My words were awful. Will you forgive me?”

Parenting is hard.  We stumble through one developmental stage, look back on that point in time with confidence as we emerge, then find ourselves knee-deep in doubt in our child’s next challenging phase.

 And to make life really entertaining, we find parenting each child is completely different. The parenting tactics which worked with our firstborn’s unique personality may not work with our other kids.

In times like these…I. Just. Need. Clear. Direction.  

As I sank down through troubled emotions, God’s word spoke to me.  God reminded me of an amazing Psalm  which gives us a compass through the never-ending fog of parenting.  This first Psalm, along with the rest of the Bible, gives us an aerial view of our parenting journey and points a scared stiff mom back to the solid ground of basic truth.  

Psalm 1

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, 
Nor stand in the path of sinners, 
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers.

 Blessed means, “blissfully happy or contented.”  Lord,  I ask for Your blessing for my child! Help him to find true happiness found only in You.  

But his delight is in the law of the Lord, 
And in His law he meditates day and night.

Lord, thanks for showing me my first priority as a parent is to teach my children God’s word in a way they will enjoy and understand. Please help me soak in Your word day and night for my own peace and direction to parent the children You gave me.

 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, 
Which yields its fruit in its season
, And its leaf does not wither; 
And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Lord, I  long for and pray my children will stand firm in You as children and adults. Help them bear Godly fruit for generations to come to prosper Your kingdom.  Remind me to “plant” my children in God’s word.  Lord, help me to relax knowing only You can produce the fruit in their lives. Help me let go of my control and trust You.

 The wicked are not so, 
But they are like chaff, which the wind drives away.

Lord, allow my children to have lives full of meaning in this life and eternity, and not to be reduced to windblown nothingness. Please ensure my days of parenting will count for Your glory.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, 
Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.  For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, 
But the way of the wicked will perish.

 Lord, help me to teach my children how serious sin is. I pray for their wisdom to come directly from you.

Thank you Lord for this bird’s eye view of parenting.  Thank you for making the road straight when we find ourselves knee-deep in parenting doubt and anxiety. Thank you for making the impossible path possible. 

djdannywalk

Are you lost in the anxiety of parenting? What verses do you cling in faith to when parenting gets hard?

 

Praising God through my pen,

Tara Dovenbarger

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Stephanie Shott
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