Room to Grow

 It’s so hard to separate my children’s issues from who I am as a parent. Somehow it’s ingrained in me to believe that my child’s behavior is caused by something that I did wrong, or neglected to do right. I spend so much time in my brain trying to figure out what I could have done differently, and what I should do better in the future. But then that new thing I try fails. The behavior continues. Then I am back to reevaluating.

Today I am trying to remember that my children were who they are before they became mine. I have to do my part; love them, train them, discipline them when needed, and encourage them in their strengths. The rest I have to leave to the Lord. They belong to Him far more than to me, and His love for them far surpasses mine.

I pray, oh how I pray, that they will become responsible, well adjusted grown-ups, that they will make good choices in life, and become compassionate human beings. I pray that they will love the Lord and serve Him. Ultimately, though, they have to work through the the baggage that they were handed in their earliest years. I do believe that I have an impact on their lives, but in the end they are responsible for their choices, and for who they eventually become.