If Christ Is Our Example

Sometimes I feel like a complete failure as a parent.  I end the day literally wanting to pull my hair out.  I wonder why we ever chose to have children and why in the world we want more if I cannot seem to keep the three I have under control.

This is not the norm and it honestly goes with different seasons we are in as a family.  So yes, there are definitely more of the days where I love and enjoy being a mom but for the post's sake, lets just linger at the latter "feelings" for now.

I've been reading a lot of books.  Yes, little ol' me, enjoying not one book but actually I am currently reading through five different books (I'll let you know what I've been reading later on this week).  Josh is really rubbing off on me:)  I don't totally agree with everything I read, but I am always up for new ideas and stuffing my brain with as much knowledge as possible to be the best wife, mother, Christ-follower, sister, daughter, friend and worship leader that I can be.

Anyway, with all this reading I've realized that the most consistent and trust-worthy example I have for being the mom I need to be is from Christ himself.  He should be my ultimate example!

My father-in-law, Rick, was speaking at one of the camps we lead this summer and one of his talks really resonated in my heart as I continue on my parenting journey.

Here are a few take-aways from his message that I wrote down and that I have been trying to work out in my parenting my three very different temperamented children.

God always gives us a choice

He won't chase after us

He allows us to turn away from Him

He allows natural consequences to occur

Rick then told of a time in his younger years when he was out with some friends.  He wasn't a very strong swimmer.  In fact, he really couldn't swim at all.  His friends were going out to a lake and asked if he wanted to join them.  The only thing they asked was for him to swear that he could swim.  Knowing that he couldn't swim but not wanting to be left out, he lied.

They got to the lake, jumped in a boat and headed to the middle of the lake.  Rick thought he was safe.  He believed that the choice he made would turn out fine and that his friends would never know that he lied.  

This was true for a few minutes...until they started playing "king of the boat" and throwing each other into the water to see who could stay in the boat the longest.  Rick just laid low until one of the other boys grabbed him and threw him into the water.

Now, remember there were several boys and they were all clambering to get in the boat so of course it's no surprise that nobody noticed when Rick went missing as he started sinking to the bottom of the lake.  Especially since he told them he could in fact swim.

Finally, one of his buddies saw him struggling in the water and raced over to help him get back in the boat.

Rick then pointed out that this would not have been the time for his buddy to lean over the side of the boat and start lecturing him about his foolish choices.  It certainly wouldn't have been the time to offer swimming lessons.  No!  At that moment, Rick needed help.  He was at the bottom and he was in need.  He had nothing else to offer.  He clearly needed to be brought back to safety.

Wow, I've got a long way to go.  So often I want to lecture and point out every little foolish choice along the way, but Christ waits for us to call out to him.  He patiently endures our foolish choices until we have nothing else to give.  He doesn't chase after us, but waits for us to realize that it is only Him who can bring us to safety.

If we believe that Christ is our example, let's parent like we believe it!