Thankful

As I travel along the journey of parenting, I often find myself having to take a deep breath. This junk is hard. Stubborn wills, competing agendas, loud voices, and random conflicts can turn a house from a home to a battle zone rather quickly. Our kids are trying to figure out how to navigate life as their brains grow and change in a world that can be hard and confusing. Their fight to gain their independence can leave scars everywhere, and we as their parents are often right in the middle of it all.

In a world of hurt and pain, it’s easy to get discouraged. It’s easy to forget the good that’s in our kids. Sure, their sinful nature can pop up and win the day, but I hope and pray that my kids are somehow being molded into the people God wants for them to be. As hard as it can be, I have to train myself to believe the best about them and be thankful for the gifts from God that they are.

What am I thankful for when it comes to my kids?

• I am thankful that they are healthy.
• I am thankful that they can be fun to be around.
• I am thankful that God’s love covers them.
• I am thankful that they are forgiven, just like I am.
• I am thankful for the time I have with them.
• I am thankful that I have the opportunity to mold and shape their hearts and minds.
• I am thankful that I have the chance to model God’s love and forgiveness to them.
• I am thankful that they are growing and learning.
• I am thankful that God loves them more than I do.
• I am thankful that God knows their future.
• I am thankful that God’s strength can work in me as I lead them.

There is probably more I could list. My hope for all of us is that we can not only be thankful in the season, but we can train our hearts and minds to operate out of a place where we truly appreciate the kids God has given us. On days when it’s hard, I REALLY need to remind myself that I am thankful for them. If we can operate from a posture of being thankful, maybe it can change the way we parent.  Maybe our kids can truly feel the love of God flowing from us and maybe we can lead them into a deeper relationship with their heavenly father, who is always thankful for them.