The Truth
As I've read through my Facebook page and other internet sources this past week, I've noticed a trend of articles with titles like these:
To the Lonely Mother of Older Children
To the Guilty Mother of Medically Fragile Children
To the Angry Mother of a Special Needs Child
To the Anxious Mother of Her First Child.
And on and on they go. Out of curiosity, I read many of the articles. I mean, after all, I am a mother that fits into all of these categories. (Well, I had my first child over 25 years ago, but I'm still parenting her, often more than the others.)
While none of these articles was wrong or bad, they just left me feeling uneasy about something. They left something to be desired. I couldn't put my finger on it for a while, but as I thought about it more, I realized what was missing: the TRUTH.
Were they full of lies? No.
Were they misleading? No, not exactly.
But I believe they were measuring good parenting with the wrong measuring stick. Instead of using Biblical tools - faith in God, compassion for others, and the fruit of the Spirit - to define success, they used the world's tools - good grades, popularity, athletic ability, and money. And those are actually so trivial and unimportant.
They asked us to remember that other moms were out there, too, driving carpool and wishing for the good ol' days of playgroups. They relieved us of the burden of thinking that it was our fault that our child's body responded badly to vaccinations or certain foods. (But let's get our Senators to introduce new legislation, anyway.) They excused our rude behavior and angry outbursts since we are obviously taxed beyond any reasonable human limits while dealing with difficult insurance companies, rude, misunderstanding people, and our own very needy kids. And they assured us that our anxieties were normal. After all, being responsible for another human life really demands a lot of, um, responsibility.
But they never once gave us the all-important truth for each of these situations. It can be easy to get our priorities out of whack with God's priorities, to live according to a false “truth.” But life isn't about grades, sports, money, careers, social clubs, or even Pinterest. Life is about knowing and living the Truth.
And that truth is God.
• God, Who is sovereign and wise.
• God, Who blesses us with each and every child in our family.
• God, Who gives only good gifts to His children - and yes, that includes food allergies and cerebral palsy.
• God, Who enables and empowers us by His grace and supplies for us according to His riches.
• God, Who never makes a mistake and is never taken by surprise.
• God, Who desires our obedience, submission, and fellowship.
• God, Who deserves all the glory.
Everything else in life is just another opportunity to practice living out the Truth.
If being a parent has taught me anything, it is that I can't. I can't be with my children all of the time. I can't protect them from every danger. I can't solve all of their problems. I can barely even keep up with their laundry, so why do I think I can control everything else in their lives?
BUT GOD CAN! And He does, and He always will.
Maybe you are struggling today with some of the areas I've mentioned, or maybe it is something completely unrelated. May I just remind you, God is there. He is with you in your struggles, doubts, frustrations, and worries. He has already prepared the answer to your question, and it is a good answer. Can you lift your eyes up from your difficult situation and focus them on God? Can you trust Him and believe Him for another day? You will find Him faithful, today and tomorrow.
He is the only Truth you will ever need.
III John 4: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."