My phone hasn’t stopped ringing this week with calls and texts from my children. All three of them are in college at different schools and tt’s coming up on finals week for all of them. Every day is a new worry or a new fear that they’re going to fail the whole semester because of finals.
Most of the time they just want to vent, so I try to listen – not lecture. But many of the calls have been from two of my children tattling on their other sibling with opinions about poor decisions this sibling is making. Those calls aren’t as easy to listen to.
As a parent I want to be supportive, understanding and compassionate, but I’m not gonna lie to you – sometimes I’d like to turn my phone off and ignore them. Some days I just want them to grow up and solve their own problems.
My youngest child turns 20 next week, my oldest is nearly 30. The middle one is somewhere in between. For the most part they’re fully functioning human beings who are morally upright and have a fairly good grasp of right and wrong. But sometimes, they still act and behave like toddlers.
Somewhere between preschool and puberty that free will thing kicks in for our little darlings and suddenly they morph into difficult, opinionated people. Lord, but this parenting job is more than I bargained for and quite frankly — some days I’d rather just throw in the towel and quit!
God, in His infinite wisdom and with His bizarre sense of humor somehow always manages to compare my parenting skills with my personal relationship with Him, the Lord of the Universe.
Whenever I’m fed up with my kids and ready to throw in the parental towel and sever my responsibilities as a parent … God gives me a nudge. It always a gentle nudge, but it’s there nonetheless. He lovingly reminds me that in my 35 years of walking with Him, He has never disowned me; even though I’ve given Him ample reason to.
God reminds me that whenever I come to Him on bended knee with an insignificant worry or problem, He never sends me away. He never tells me to just grow up and solve my own problems.
My worries matter to God, because I matter to God. No problem is too insignificant for Him. He is never tempted to not answer when I call. He won’t give up on me because I’m being difficult or opinionated. God loves me unconditionally. He won’t quit on me.
God reminds me that my kids deserve as much from me – unconditional love, support and a promise to always answer the phone because God hand-picked these children for me. He knew these three strong-willed, opinionated amazing people needed me as their mother – and He knew I needed them.
OMG, parenting is the hardest job I’ve ever had! But quitting is not an option because my kids matter to God and I matter to God and in the end … my Father Knows Best!
Blessings in Christ,
Kathy
www.kathleenkurlin.com
What a heartfelt illustration of God’s unconditional love to His children! We moms need to be reminded and encouraged “not to hang up” on our kids, especially when the free will kicks in. I simply loved your post. Thank you!