Someone wise said the only people who know all about rearing kids are the ones who never had any.
I found that to be true and I'll bet you have, too.
Not long after we hold our first child any illusion that little ones sort of fit into our plans vanishes like a puff of smoke. Babies, children of any age, really, change everything.
Being a mom--or a dad--often feels like groping our way through a cave with barely a glimmer of light.
We stumble. We sweat fear. We pray, never quite sure we're on the right path. Never losing sight of the fact that the people we love most are depending on us.
So we carry on, loving our kids the best we can and coping the best way we know how. Most of all we keep on praying.
It's a wonder-full, wearying way to live
Forget those "experts" and celebrity parents on TV. Somehow they conveniently forget to mention the size of their staff and how many nannies they employ.
(I always imagine their lives to be a bit like Downton Abbey, where the nannies bring the oh-so-adored children in to join the the adults for a time, like 15 minutes or half an hour. Who couldn't be wise and joyful for limited time periods?)
Real-life parents mostly make do on their own. And get tired. Exhausted, really. Tired of coping.
I remember when our girls were young. I found myself in a long gray spell and couldn't put my finger on the why of it or shed the heaviness that weighed me down.
Then I ran across a rhyme
Just two lines, but they shocked me into right thinking:
Two men looked out through prison bars;
One saw mud, the other saw stars
That simple couplet spoke truth to my heart. As never before, I realized that what I "saw" and how I judged it came from inside me.
No matter what the situation, always, I choose what I focus on and how I call it. So do you.
At first I didn't like knowing that, but then I realized the power of it.
We all live our lives one moment at a time. How we see it and how we call it is up to us.
So look up and take heart
Whatever problems you face right now, however overwhelmed you may feel, you never walk alone. Not in this moment. Not in any future moment--unless you want to.
Always, the One who knows the way ahead is waiting to take your hand.
If you need a shot of encouragement, here's Ephesians 3:20. I especially love the way it's expressed in the Living Bible:
Now glory be to God who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of --infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.
So take a deep breath, smile and put on your "God-Glasses." The last chapter of your life--and your children's lives--has yet to be written.
Why not choose to see what's good and focus on His mighty power within you--and them? Then thank the Giver.
Trust me, that small adjustment can make a big difference--for you personally and for your family.
Blessings,
Lenore
