By Tina Chandler
Children, kids, babies, little ones, stinkers, rugrats, holy terrors, lovebugs, cutie pies, precious bundles
Whatever you call yours, they are a gift from above. They ignite a fire in us as parents – a fire that never dies. Believe me; I know how frustrating a 2 year old’s tantrum can be.
I know how angry you can get when you get lied to and find out about it! But through it all, there is love – a bond that is so strong, you feel like you could take on the Hulk if he threatened your kid. Well, your child will face their share of Hulks in their lives – just like you did. There will be the one at daycare that pulls hair or bites the others.
There will be the one in grade school that throws stuff or takes your kid’s snacks. Or how about the one in middle school that picks fights, steals money or is just plain mean all the time. I hope I’m not describing your son or daughter OR MINE in those examples. But, maybe I am.
In my mind, some parents have fallen under the weight of the world, work too much, sick, tired, worried, or maybe became lazy, less involved and have forgotten (or maybe never knew) how to teach kids to live in society – discipline, boundaries, rules, love, compassion, guidelines, a framework for growing up and becoming a loving, caring, honest adult. Search yourself – are you a perfect parent? Lord knows I am not!
I work too much, I don’t keep a perfectly clean house, I don’t always take the opportunity to “teach” my son something. Sometimes, I just let the video game or the laptop occupy him instead of engaging him. Stop, step back, take a breath and really take a look at how we “parent” our kids. I’m as guilty as the next one when it comes to being lazy in some situations. Maybe it’s time to renew our effort of loving our kids through teaching them. Maybe we can learn things along the way too.
Since I was 18 or so, I was told by several doctors that I would not be able to carry a pregnancy to term, if I could get pregnant at all. Since I was a young adult, I never prepared myself to be a Mom. I never really even thought about it – just went through life not planning on it. In fact, I convinced myself that I didn’t want kids. I grew up babysitting all the nieces and nephews I could – even spending a couple of summers with one of my sisters. But still, there was no desire to be a Mom (or at least I never showed it).
Fast forward several years, I moved to KC 20 years ago and soon after met the man that would become my husband years later (it took him a while to figure out he loved me – hehe). We dated for a while, got married in August 1999. Well, in October that year, I found out I was pregnant – I was shocked, scared and thrilled.
I was also so unprepared, nervous, afraid and all the emotions that ride the train driven by hormones. I joked that this baby was God’s wedding gift to me. I said “I do” and He said “Here you go”. I was 34 when we got married – late by many standards, not only to be a new bride but to be a 1st time Mom. Cody was born 37 weeks after we got married – he was my wedding gift from God! At the time, I was not in step with God.
I felt so far removed from His grace that I wondered “why me, why now”? It took a few years and much of “life getting in the way” to finally wake me up to the fact that this child was a way of God positioning me right back in front of Him! In September 2009, I took a roadtrip back home for a wedding. I was alone in the car for the long ride there and back. It was a short visit – 4 days and most of that time was behind the wheel. On the way back, I got caught in the Big Piney Woods of east Texas – terrible phone reception, lots of heavy rain, and having to drive slow in a fast car (not easy for me). Well, it was a long, lonely ride. That trip was the turning point for me. It hit me that I was depriving my son of the knowledge of God, of the Lord’s grace and love.
Over the next few months, I visited several churches and came to be at the church where we worship now. It was the place we were meant to be – all things clicked and it felt right. I received so many blessings just by being there.
I am by no means anywhere near a perfect parent. I learn daily what it means to be a Mom. Those lessons will never stop, I assure you! But it is my privilege and duty as a Mom to provide for my child. I can’t do that alone.
I have a loving husband who happens to be a pretty good Dad. And we have a loving Father in Heaven that gave His Son for us. What better example of parental guidance and love!God showers us with blessings.
Isn’t it time we became the blessing for others?
You can do that by being the best parent you can be, raising your child in love and discipline then believing what Proverbs 22:6 tells us. From the King James Version – Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
