I’m fearful they will make the same mistakes I made.
My boys are such good kids. They aren’t perfect, but they pursue God. I often impose the mistakes I made growing up on them and am fearful of them making the same mistakes. Anytime you allow fear into a relationship, that relationship will never be all that it could be. I fear mistakes. Even though I know that it is often through mistakes that God grows us the most, I am fearful of them repeating my mistakes. If I’m absolutely honest, I treat them at times as if they already have repeated those mistakes. I’m asking God to help me not be fearful.
This is a longer post than we typically write, but I wanted to close by sharing with you a few things I’m doing to battle my ability to overreact. I am in process as is any parent, but these are helping me grow.
Pray for them.
I’m trying to spend a few minutes each day just praying for my boys. Sometimes it is first thing in the morning when they are still sleeping. Sometimes it is as I walk past their room. As I pray for them, I can feel God giving me His heart for them. I know He cares about them way more than I do, and I need His power and patience and wisdom to guide me.
Spend time with them.
I heard James Dobson say one time, “Rules without relationship equals rebellion.” It is easier for me to enforce rules than it is to build a relationship. But rules don’t change a heart, relationships do. I’m trying to spend time with each of my boys in different ways to build into them and into our relationship.
I don’t have any of this parenting thing mastered yet, but I’m working on it.
