Life

I love this moody picture. I feel it kind of captures what has been going on in our house these past 2 weeks. They have definitely been challenging. Sickness, crabbiness, allergy attacks, dr. visits, late nights, early mornings, failed potty training, more sickness and lots of tears. But through it all God taught me a few things.

I think most importantly, that my kids are not perfect and far from it. And that I should not be ashamed of that, but embrace it and know that is why we have a Savior. As my kids get older and more in tune with life- I see their fallen state. And I have a few options. I can ignore it… maybe not the best answer. I can try to make them perfect- I think this is the one I was trying to do… but failing miserably at and them getting frustrated. Or I can accept who they are and that they will never be perfect and rejoice in the fact that we have a Savior that frees us. I am on a journey, as we all are. I know that I don’t have it all together, but day by day am learning to abide with Christ.

Here is a quote that I found today on a bulletin we get from our church. "As mothers, we never want to see our children experience the sting of failure or rejection. But in trying to shelter them from adversity, we sometimes overprotect them. By safeguarding them from pain, we also shield them from potential growth."

I love that last phrase. I know in my life, I have seen God grow me the most through adversities and trials. These trials can come just because God wills or because of my own mistake. It is something I am continually working on- being thankful for them, not fearing trials.

My goal is to be wise- I am not going to completely send my children to fend for themselves, but not go crazy trying to protect them. What a hard thing to balance!

This verse from the Bible has been really encouraging to me lately.

1 Peter 1:6-7 "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."