Some days are better than others. There are days that they play well, listen & obey. The day goes smoothly without any struggles. And then there are “those” days. You know the ones I mean. The ones where you wonder who flipped the switch on your kid.
The days where you repeat yourself over & over. You wonder if they are hearing your words. Are they understanding your words? The days where obedience seems to be omitted from their psyche. They whine. They cry.
And then the thoughts start…..
- “Where did I go wrong?”
- “Am I a good parent?”
- “Why does everyone else seem to do this so much better than me?”
- “Only my kids do this.”
I was not told I would not receive an instruction manual on the day I gave birth. And no one surely mentioned each child would need an instruction manual all their own.
Parenting take courage. It takes persistence. Parenting is day in & day out. No break. Parenting is flat out – hard work.
I was reminded of this truth as I read yesterday:
You don’t have to teach a child to do wrong; you only have to teach him to do right.
(from the book Named By God by Kasey Van Norman, page 18)
You didn’t do anything wrong. “Those days”, the ones when they are acting up, are when we see the mark that Adam has left on each one of us. The desire that is in our DNA to desire to do wrong, to sin raises its head even in our little ones. We see itΓΒ with each temper tantrum, with each wise remark, with each disobedience, with each roll of the eyes.
And so you persist. You keep on teaching him to do right. For just as they have inherited from Adam, there is a greater inheritance – the inheritance of Christ.
“When Adam sinned, sin entered the world…..But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift…. Even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.” (Romans 5: 12. 15, 17, 18 NLT).
It is as you persist & teach him to do right, you will find they will be changed & you will leave a lasting mark on your child’s life. A legacy of godliness.
With Love,
From Another Mom
Today I am linking with Dear Weary Mom and Thriving Thurs. and Thurs. Favorite Things and Blog Lovin’ Blog Hop and Thrive At Home and I Choose Joy and Thought Provoking Thurs. and Thoughtful Thurs. and Thankful Thurs. .
Dear Joanne
As I was reading your words, I thought that on such days one wonders who has swopped the babies in the hospital after they were born for this one cannot be yours! Mine are young men now and turned out quite decent young men.
Blessings XX
Mia
LOL, Mia. So true. Then on the good days, we are so proud they are ours π So glad that you sons are good men. They must have had a good example!
Have a great Thurs., friend.
A great reminder! Thanks for sharing!
One Weary Mom visiting another!
With three children I have many of those days where I ask the same questions to myself. I’m glad to not be alone in questioning my parenting skills!
I am finding that the beauty of the link-up is finding that we all face similar struggles. We are not alone – every mom is with us in this π Thank you for stopping by & hope to see you next week π
A very nice letter, thank you π
We moms can be very hard on ourselves when we have those tough days, and we all DO have those tough days. It’s good to hear encouraging words like these, from moms who know.
I am glad you were encouraged. May the days ahead be a little easier because we are all in it together. Thank you for stopping by.
What great encouragement I’m finding on your blog! Love the church pic in your top post. Thanks for sharing this & for visiting me at Doorkeeper on Thursday. Blessings!
I am thankful that you have found encouragement here. Glad that you visited. Thank you for hosting the link up each week. May we continue to be a source of encouragement to each other. Blessings!