Parenthood
The word invokes many things: fear, terror, trauma, joy, happiness, bliss, love.
Even those that haven’t become parents themselves still can relate. Think about your family dog and you have a fraction of what being a parent is like.
These coming blogs relating to our next sermon series are going to be extremely hard on myself as I will have to do a lot of self-reflection and introverted honesty.
***INSERT BACKSTORY (AGAIN) HERE***
My own ties to parenthood have come at great cost to myself. The first being that I was the youngest of four children in a broken, miserable, abusive, alcoholic, drug-ridden, self-loathing, diabolical hell of a home. And honestly that is putting it VERY lightly. I have an older half-sister (+3 years), an older half-brother (+1), and an older twin-brother (+2 minutes). My twin has been affected by cerebral palsy since birth. From the story that has been told countless times, my brother and I were born in a private hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas. We were a couple of months premature, and we barely tipped the scales at two pounds. While we were in the NICU, we were separated. Somehow, my brother’s oxygen level was turned up too high, and he suffered from oxygen saturation to the brain, thus causing the CP and being a quadriplegic…
For whatever reason I was “blessed” to be a parental role in my twin’s life, and still to this day, I don’t fully comprehend why I had to sacrifice most of my childhood to feed him, cloth him, wash him, change his diapers, and other parental duties. I will say this now, even if my mother and I have an estranged relationship, she did the best she could. I didn’t say she did the best job, but rather, just the best she was able to do at the time, battling her own demons of abuse, drug addiction, etc. Sadly enough, my brother and I never had a normal relationship, and don’t even to this day. That was my first major taste of what some would call “parenthood”. You think that I would have learned, but like all things, the best lessons have to be learned the hardest ways.
The real “parenthood”, was when I welcomed the most beautiful person into this world, my daughter. Even though I have wishes to go back and change how much I worked and the collapse of my relationship, I cannot. What is done is done. I just hope in the end, in God’s infinite wisdom, my daughter will be happy and safe. Even if I have had to take a backseat in her relationship at the time being, in the end all will be ok, because it has to be. I don’t know if some of you can relate to this without being me. Just imagine the BEST thing ever to come into your life, and you are struggling to make sure the past doesn’t repeat itself, but you fail. I mean flat on your face, knee deep in quicksand, pit full of vipers, fail.
So please take what you can get from these coming series. If you are not a parent yet, please learn from me so you don’t go through what I have, or what I will.
***And On To the Show! ***
Parenthood – Priorities of Parenting
Parenting is JOYFUL. Never forget that!
At first your child is dependent on you for EVERYTHING! Meals, food, “waste disposal”, clothing, love, I mean everything...
But the safest and best priority is to transfer their dependence on you, into a dependence on God. As my mother proved and so many others have too, that we can fail our children. The good news is that God can’t.
In doing this you will change yourself and every generation to come.
So...
LOVE YOUR CHILD! LOVE YOUR GOD!
But be careful! If you only give your child just a little bit of God, then they will build a resistance to the great wonders abound. They will know God, but not of God. They will not have that intimate relationship with Christ. It is a dangerous path to follow, push too hard and they will pull away. Lead by example. And never underestimate a child’s ability to serve others. Get them active in church sponsored programs and activities. Make it more than just a “Sunday Thing”.
Get ready for the big picture.
KIDS WHO BECOME ACTIVE CHRIST FOLLOWERS AS ADULTS
(Parents Active) (Percent of Children)
Mom and Dad 72%
Mom 15%
Dad 55%
Neither 6%
Lead your family by teaching as well. And you MUST lead intentionally. Don’t fall into the current trend and trap. You have to have control.
Edward Duke of Windsor said, “The thing that impresses me most about America is the way parents obey their children.”
Are we supposed to be proud of that? I mean we all have see a child throwing a tantrum once in the store… but why is that being accepted now more and more common place? You need to set the standards, not them.
Lead your family through relationships. Please don’t ever let your child think that he/she needs to hide their love for another, especially if that other is someone of great importance. I mean don’t let your fifteen year old daughter be sucking face at dinner with grandpa and grandma across the table at El Patron either. But show them why relationships can make a strong person even stronger…want proof? If you are an active Christ follower then go look in the mirror. Your personal relationship with Christ has strengthened you beyond limits, even where death cannot touch you.
Key points and Ideas (Along with Scripture)
Be shepherds of your flock…
Children are stewards – nothing is theirs – ALL is God’s. And we all are children of God…
Then why is it so hard for us to let go of some things?
