Why do I say the towel is on the ground? Because, according to my husband, that’s where I have thrown it when it comes to discipline and our youngest child. This was our conversation not too long ago…

Him: We need to talk about Ben.

Me in my head: Shoot, this can’t be good.

Him: Seems like you’ve really thrown in the towel with him. We were so consistent with the other boys when it came to addressing their behavior, and I feel like you’ve just lost steam with him.

Me in my head: [not 100% printable] so Me a few seconds later: I know, I know.

In his defense, he is completely correct, even though his message was moderately irritating. In my defense, I have three children under the age of four and the precious angels have worn me down to a tiny little nub. Because here’s the deal: raising kids is really hard. Perhaps this thought has occurred to you before. Perhaps you can relate, wherever you may be in the process. Maybe you have a teenage daughter who is emotionally destroyed on a weekly basis by whatever you say or do, and you feel like you just cannot go through it one more time. Maybe you’ve got a son who pushes boundaries like he’s getting paid to do it (not that you can get him to put much effort towards the job he is getting paid to do.) Maybe you are one of us poor suckers who’s baby refuses to sleep through the night. No matter what you do. In fact, the more you try to get them to sleep, the less they do. Almost as if- could they be taunting you at eight months old? The answer is yes. Can you survive on this little sleep for this long?
Some people will say, “It’s tough, but it’s just a phase. You’ll be fine.”These are the people who’s babies slept through the night and have no idea how you’re feeling. Ignore them.

Anyhow, this brings me back to my point- raising kids is hard. In fact, it’s too hard. We all find ourselves at times in our journey as parents when we come face to face with our weaknesses and limits. Here’s one reason why we should resist the urge to throw in the towel and, instead, recognize those times as treasures: because God says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9) Just earlier today as I was attempting to deal with a grand tantrum my youngest was throwing whilst in the doctor’s office with my other two children, I found myself muttering, “I can’t handle this.” I think the apostle Paul would say something to the effect of, “Perfect! …the ideal grounds for learning to live by God’s strength and not yours.” After all, our adventure in the doctor’s office this morning was just as much about God growing me as it was about me shepherding my kids. Now, what does it take to live each moment, aware of that truth and delighting in God’s curriculum for us and our children? In a word, HELP.

The Family Ministry at Watermark is passionate about partnering with you as you seek to embrace God’s grace in every step of your journey as parents. It is our desire to walk with you as we live with a constant awareness of our weakness and a continual pursuit of His strength to accomplish His purposes for our families. So here are a few practical notes as we pursue this journey together…

- Sarah Stehlik

NEXT STEPS

Is The Towel On the Ground?
Set aside some time this week when you as a parent can evaluate where you are in your parenting journey. Ask some questions like: What am I/ we doing well? Where am I throwing in the towel? Am I  seeking God (through prayer, through Scripture, through community) for specific direction concerning my/our children? Do I have a thorough understanding of how each of my children are doing? Ask God to show you how you can parent more fully out of His strength.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009 at 4:32 pm and is filed under Discipline, Time Out for Parents . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.