Thursday, August 30, 2007

Growing in Motherhood


This summer has been a real growing time as a mother to my 2 little ones...I couldn't possibly write about all i have learned, but i wanted to share that i am learning and it has been hard and delightful all at the same time! I get scared and anxious at times....feeling so inadequate for the job. I don't have my mother to call or to show me how things should go....Yet, God reminds me of her example in life to me of who God is and I am able to come to Him and find my way. God says in Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." I love that God "teaches" us the way in which we should go. And that His counsel is found with His eye upon us!! That has given life to my parenting and dependance on Him to show me how to teach and love my children.

I'm learning (slowly) that my children's behavior is not the "enemy" or the "judgement" on my parenting skills. As stew puts it..."we are just curbing evil until Jesus takes their hearts". I'm slowly starting to see this and believe it and not parent out of my own insecurity or messed up beliefs.

We always want our children to behave "rightly" and especially before others....but that is a fruit that develops over time and if it weren't for the "bad fruit" how could we parent them to what is indeed, real fruit. I'm learning to embrace the disobedience, temper tantrums or selfishness in my children. They are opportunities to parent my child through their own behavior, not stop their behavior or feel guilty that i have not taught them what behavior should look like. (i mean, come on! we mothers have told our kids a thousand times! what they should be doing!) but it is that waiting for the fruit and trusting the Lord to work with us that grows fruit in us and our children. We can never stop the behavior of our children....it is their own out of their sinful nature...but we can parent them through it and trust God to do work in them what we cannot.

Thank you God, for my children who are teaching me your ways and not my own!!

Trust God to guide you with your children
....and if you don't believe in God and His work....I pray you will find Him and the truth of His ways...for their is none like God, no one besides Him. He is God and there is no other. And truth is what our children need to be taught in....

1 comment:

Spirit of Adoption said...

THIS is why I'm so glad you started blogging again! I love you heart, Kimberly!!!! I love your transparency! I love how Jesus works in you, and how you share what He's doing in you! You are a precious sister!!! Oh.....this post resignated with my heart!!! Especially just coming back from a trip where my pride swelled time and time again when I wanted my kids to "be a certain way" so that people we don't see regularly would know "we are doing a "good" job" : ( GROSS!!!!!!!!!! First, anything that is good in our parenting is GRACE!!!! And 2nd....why would I expect ANYthing else from my kids....they are sinners....and....that we know of...don't have the Spirit living within them to do a changing work in their hearts....so it's all about training their behaviors and guiding their hearts in Truth : ) I love what Stew said! That's SO true!!!

And it's crazy b/c though they don't know Jesus.....I do.....and I STILL do the same things! I know what I'm supposed to do, but I respond out of my flesh SO often! : ( So, certainly my children will, right?!

Thanks again for your post - makes me feel even closer to you! ; )