I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. ~ 3 John 1:4
My ultimate goal is to raise my children to be faithful stewards of the Lord and serve Him in everything that they do. However, this is proving to be a daunting task. Teaching them the basics-sharing, telling the truth, obey, respect-are not easy things to teach. Especially when it comes to my daughter, Emma! She is the definition of a strong-willed child!
Completely head-strong and opposite than me in alot of ways, causes us to bump heads, a lot! Repeating myself not once, not twice, but three or four times to do, or not to do something, is a regular occurance. Somedays all it seems I do is yell at her and send her to her room. I spend many moments whispering little prayers asking for peace and guidance throughout my day!
But, at the end of the tough days-the all I do is yell days-hearing the prayers of thankfulness for me, her mama, and the whisper of "Jesus, I love You" make me continue on and reassure me that somewhere in the mess and the struggle I am doing something right.
My Heavenly Father will continue to lead me in raising my daughter, Emma. He will show me what she needs, especially on those days we struggle. And I will continue to rejoice in knowing that she gets it; She loves Jesus and she knows He loves her! {1 John 4:19}
Linking up at:
We were born only yesterday and know nothing, and our days on earth are but a shadow. ~ Job 8:9
Oh, these strong willed children :)
ReplyDeleteI have those days with Sophie, and there are times when I'm in tears while she's in tears. You are doing an excellent job!! Training them was never promised to be easy, but it was to be rewarding - and it is!
Blessings!!
Beautiful photo, and such an honest post! I went through much of the same things with my son ... so discouraged at times, but when I saw the fruit of my 'labor' in his life and realized that he really was "getting it", well, that was so rewarding, and encouraged me on! I had also read a somewhat similar article that had encouraged me a few years back. Always kept it in my file, and this part really encouraged me:
ReplyDelete"One truth I realize now, that I missed as a young mom, is that He GENTLY leads those that are with young. God is not a tyrannical task master who piles on the tasks of motherhood simply to see how much we can take until we crack. He is; however, a gentle, loving, wise, heavenly father who knows what we need as we grow into the likeness of His Son. He very carefully orchestrates the events of our life ... or busy “mother moments” of our day to conform us into His image. Be encouraged, young mom, and keep the big picture in view. God is for us. Dirty diapers, crying infants, children who disobey are not against us. These small infringements of our time are actually holy moments designed by God for our good and His eternal glory. God sees all of your labor. Your sacrifice is in His full view. Allow your weak moments, when everything seems chaotic and difficult, to point your gaze upward to the Saviour who is gently leading you."
Hope that encourages you, too! :)
Blessings ~ Deborah