Parents and Children

       Personally, I think the hardest thing to do is be a good parent and the second hardest to be a good spouse.  Work is temporarily stressful, but there are rewards of pay for your efforts, occasional thank you or good job-s, and a bonus now and then.  There is a sense of accomplishment when a task is completed well which becomes a confidence boost.  But parenting?!...

Not always this happy, eh?

       Seems to me it never turns out the way you thought when you were young.  I thought I’d always get along with my kids, who would always love me and I them, and we would have tons of fun together.  I thought I’d be the perfect parent.  Pthhhhh!  Every decision I’ve made has been what I thought was in their best (long term) interest and not my own but they usually don’t believe it. 

       Have I mentioned my kids are teens and it seems like nothing I do is right?  The problem is, when I look in the mirror, I already see all the things I should have done better, those things I outright failed at, and those things I completely missed.  Yes, occasionally I see the things I did right!)  In the end, I didn’t turn out much better than my parents like I thought I would L!  And please don’t tell my kids this one- despite how it looks I an NOT always confident that I’m making the right decision.  Sometimes I have to make a call even when I’m uncertain.  Being a good parent is so difficult.

But I wish.

       I wish we would get along better even though our personalities or values are different.  (It sure would be easier if we had more in common.)  Also, that we would spend more time together having fun and getting to know one another more intimately.  I’ve always wanted for us to be close…  My dream was that we could talk about anything…

       Guess I’m wondering what God wishes as our Father. Just what are His hopes and dreams for relationship with us?  Does He dream of the same things we do as parents?

The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zep. 3:17 all NKJV

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son… Jh. 3:16

But God demonstrates His own love toward us… Rom 5:8

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.  Jh. 15:13

We love Him because He first loved us.  1 Jh. 4:19

I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me. Pr. 8:17

(Nothing) …shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:39