"Kid-Flying"
What are your greatest fears? If you're a parent, what scares you the most in your role? I'm sure many of you could identify with mine:
Fear of failure. You know... the feeling of failure when you learn it's your child who is unruly in class. Or when your child struggles in school. Or worst of all, your child chooses to walk away from the Lord even after all the teaching and praying on their behalf.
Fear of regret. This is a big one for me. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I worry that years from now, I'll look back at my parenting and regret not playing more. Will I regret being too strict? Too lenient? Too structured? Too relaxed?
It's a balancing act that we, as parents, wrestle with every day.
God knows my struggles. He knows my imperfections. And He speaks to the fears that cloud my vision and clog my heart.
Monday was windy. A continual gusty wind seemed the perfect ingredient to attempt some kite-flying with my kids. I am not an avid kite flyer. I stink at it. My patience wears thin all too quickly.
While my daughter held the line, I aggressively tackled the task of getting the kite to catch the wind.
As I watched the kite dance across the sky, God reminded my of my role in this "kid-flying" stage of life I find myself in.
Our kids are the kites. Dancing beauties that slowly and gradually pull the line for more freedom. Life will bring storms and nosedives and crashes and tangles. It will hurt to watch them learn from their struggles and failures.
But God is the wind. He sustains them, He is present even in the smallest breeze, and He breathes life into dashed hopes.
My role? The anchor. The one that holds fast in the strongest winds. The one who picks up, dusts off, and encourages our children to try again. The one who patiently addresses the tangles.
I cannot do both jobs; the wind and the anchoring. I will tire out and stress out and waste many moments worrying. I am not God and I am incapable of seeing the bigger picture that He does.
No, my job as a parent is to be the steady and supportive anchor in my children's lives. And I need to trust the Godly wind to allow them to soar and flourish wherever He takes them. God will allow nosedives and tangles along the way, but they are moments in the journey that teach us to trust deeper.
So, if you're feeling fearful of failure as a parent or scared of regrets, I urge you to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
God is here to guide and lead us in this journey of parenting. I trust that it will be beautiful when it all goes according to His plan!
Fear of failure. You know... the feeling of failure when you learn it's your child who is unruly in class. Or when your child struggles in school. Or worst of all, your child chooses to walk away from the Lord even after all the teaching and praying on their behalf.
Fear of regret. This is a big one for me. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I worry that years from now, I'll look back at my parenting and regret not playing more. Will I regret being too strict? Too lenient? Too structured? Too relaxed?
It's a balancing act that we, as parents, wrestle with every day.
God knows my struggles. He knows my imperfections. And He speaks to the fears that cloud my vision and clog my heart.
Monday was windy. A continual gusty wind seemed the perfect ingredient to attempt some kite-flying with my kids. I am not an avid kite flyer. I stink at it. My patience wears thin all too quickly.
While my daughter held the line, I aggressively tackled the task of getting the kite to catch the wind.
The progress was slow and steady. Patience was necessary. There were many failed attempts.
There were some sudden nose dives. There were crashes into the ground, where the kite needed picked up, dusted off, and encouraged back into flight.
And then there was success. Beautiful, when all went according to plan.
As I watched the kite dance across the sky, God reminded my of my role in this "kid-flying" stage of life I find myself in.
Our kids are the kites. Dancing beauties that slowly and gradually pull the line for more freedom. Life will bring storms and nosedives and crashes and tangles. It will hurt to watch them learn from their struggles and failures.
But God is the wind. He sustains them, He is present even in the smallest breeze, and He breathes life into dashed hopes.
My role? The anchor. The one that holds fast in the strongest winds. The one who picks up, dusts off, and encourages our children to try again. The one who patiently addresses the tangles.
I cannot do both jobs; the wind and the anchoring. I will tire out and stress out and waste many moments worrying. I am not God and I am incapable of seeing the bigger picture that He does.
No, my job as a parent is to be the steady and supportive anchor in my children's lives. And I need to trust the Godly wind to allow them to soar and flourish wherever He takes them. God will allow nosedives and tangles along the way, but they are moments in the journey that teach us to trust deeper.
So, if you're feeling fearful of failure as a parent or scared of regrets, I urge you to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.
God is here to guide and lead us in this journey of parenting. I trust that it will be beautiful when it all goes according to His plan!
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