Mommy Realities … they’re all about what we can learn from the things we experience daily with our children. Some of these realities are minor (we always hope that there are many more of these), some of them are a little more major (these aren’t too bad I suppose) and putting us into the AAAAAAAH department (we do NOT want many of these).
I’ve been having an AAAAAAH week with my oldest! He’s struggling in school … actually not a big surprise, but he’s suffering because of his own negligence. AAAAAAAAH! The struggle I see going in within him is actually breaking my heart!
I know he’s not the most organized kid in the world (I don’t know that he knows the meaning of the word). Over the years we have tried to structure things around him to encourage organizational discipline … to no avail. He will not be structured.
The boy will be 13 in a couple weeks! AAAAAAAAH! As if that’s not emotional enough! Nope, he’s got to throw in major struggles to boot. It’s not that he’s not being given instruction, it’s not that he’s not being given the assignments in enough time … he’s simply not doing them. Not doing them AND not telling us they exist. Thankfully I finally figured out how to access his information online, but half of that doesn’t appear until after the assignment was due … making it too late to be proactive.
So ……. WHY in the WORLD am I sharing all of this with YOU????? Why wouldn’t I wait until I’m PAST this and use it as a mommy reality moment from the perspective of a mom who’s “been there, done that” and can share a lesson learned with you???
I felt like it was a good idea to share that I sometimes am in the midst of a stuggle too. We aren’t dealing with a life or death issue here, but we are dealing with a situation where, as a parent I feel conflicted in a couple ways …
1) I’ve failed - sure, he’s a great kid, very kind and gracious (no matter how “unpopular” classmates are) and has a great heart! But I’ve obviously failed in one way or another … right?
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8 NIV)
2) This can SERIOUSLY affect his future … in many ways it already has begun to. Not that he has super high ambitions, but I don’t want to see that destroyed before it even has a chance to plant and grow!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
You want to hear something really strange??? After writing all this out and applying scripture (in addition to the many many prayers that I’ve been sending Heavenward), I feel more peace than I have all week! That’s the amazing power of God! You know … the whole “Peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) part of life walked in His presence!
I hope that sometime in the not-too-distant future I will have a wonderful update to report, but in the meantime I’ll be praying …. trusting …. hoping! Thank you for joining me in a struggle today and I hope that in some odd way you were even blessed through my struggle!