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All parents have their own arena of parenting fears. When my boys were young, my fears tended to surround them being taken or harmed. Fears can paralyze us, can’t they?
One night, I tip-toed in to my boys’ room, tucked them in, brushing the hair out of their faces as they peacefully slept in their footed jammies. I sat down on the floor of their room to pray over them. As I sat there, I began to hear God’s voice asking me if I would trust my boys with Him. Would I give Him my boys?
Well, I battled with God that night. And I learned a great deal about the power of speaking the truth into our circumstances.
I was invited to share my story over at the Fear Warrior Blog today. Jerusha writes about fighting fear in our everyday lives, and that is definitely something I’m familiar with. Growing up, I struggled with a lot of irrational fears. The more I’ve talked with people, the more I’ve realized that I wasn’t the only one. Clearly, Jerusha sees that fear is a common foe of many of us. And she is seeking to combat fear with the word of God.
So what did God teach me that night on the bedroom floor that I remember all these years later? I’d love for you to click here to hop over and read my story.
What were (or are) your parenting fears? How have you overcome them?
Thanks so much for writing such an encouraging post for The Fear Warrior Blog, Susan!
Thank YOU for the invite!
So, in response, I will recount two stories….
First of all, when the Supreme Being blesses us with the ability to bear children, NO accompanying manual arrives. So, we can’t be blamed for not RTFM. And, that is why we all raise children differently- and even our own children differently. Because everything we do is the best we can in an ad hoc basis. Hopefully, our adhocracy yields the best outcomes for our children. yet, we only learn that decades later. I wish you all well. (My brood are well past my direct control; some have broods of their own.)
Secondly, even when we err, we can develop great stories. One of the few stories I remember being told by my parents involved their first time leaving me with a baby sitter. My mom wanted to be sure I was safely asleep. So, in her gown (and with her high heels left in another room), she crawled into my room and began to look up as she approached my crib. Only to see my holding on to the side of the crib and looking down. My mom was positive I was thinking…. “What the heck is she doing right now?”
Haha! I remember doing things similar to your mother. Probably all moms have. And you’re right, we do the best we can. I can disagree totally with another parent’s methods, but I always try to remind myself that they obviously love their child and are doing the best they can. I think the biggest mistake we make is to not act intentionally, but to just get through days. Too much of that and days turn to wasted years. Blessings to you and your ‘brood’. 🙂
Beautifully told struggle that I’m sure resonates with many! Thank you for sharing your vulnerability, Susan!
Thanks, Chondra. In so many of our struggles, we think we’re alone. I have heard so many times statements like, “Everyone struggles…”, but no one is sharing theirs, so we continue to feel alone. Marriage can be hard. Parenting, hard. Life in general…pretty hard sometimes! Let’s get through it together!
Both this blog and Raising Worry are great. My children are grown but I’m a “mom
to 2 of our grandchildren. I spend more time talking to God because I know he will give me the right answers
Thanks, Martha. You speak wisdom. I spend a lot more time looking to God for wisdom these days than I used to. I used to pray all the time, don’t get me wrong, but it was more my fear expressing itself as pleading. Doing more listening now. 🙂
What a beautiful post!
Thanks so much for linking up at #familyfriday we appreciate it! We hope you come back next week