This has been my week. . . and more!
My daughter and I argued about clothing, again. I heard the words "I am bored" one too many times. My oldest made a decision contrary to what we would have allowed had we been here to give input. And with all this my parenting capabilities are put into question in my mind.
Should I have gotten angry? Probably not.
Am I doing enough with my kids to be intentional about relationship with them? Am I a failure when they have moments of boredom?
Does my son's decision reflect poor parenting? There is nothing that brings your pride down a few notches than when your very "mature" 13 year old makes a choice that leaves you thinking, "We didn't raise him like that." But then again maybe we did. Maybe we want him to make his own choices, apart from us, so he can learn from his own mistakes.
Deep breathe. . . Deep trust
And then there was Jehoshaphat.
"Now the Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel." 2 Chronicles 17: 3-4
He was a king, like his father, who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Except for one thing: he did not completely removed all the high places for people to go worship false gods. And yet God still looked upon him with favor because of the legacy of faith that David passed down to his father, Asa. A legacy that Jehoshaphat chose to carry on.
Jehoshaphat was not a perfect king. If he was he would have destroyed all the high places when he banished all the perverted persons from the land.
I am not a perfect mom. If I was my daughter would comply with all my desires for how she presents herself. My kids would all go get a book and read quietly because they loved reading instead of saying they were bored. And my son would make good choices all the time.
But no, it is not like that around here. However, I am trying to be intentional with my kids.
My daughter came home from summer school and I gave her a hug and told her I missed her while she was gone.
Her response: "But you're the one who sent me away!"
Deep breathe. . . keep trying. . .
So everyone in my family is picking a letter from the alphabet from a bag and planning a family activity that begins with their letter. I picked "V" so I planned a family Valentines party. I thought it was a fun idea; everyone else thought it was a funny idea. . .
Until they saw it coming together. The cookies were made and ready to be decorated. The decorations were up and the anticipation began to grow. As we sat around the table decorating cookies the kids were silly and they laughed hysterically. We had conversations with the messages on hearts and kisses and hugs (xoxo) were given, and compliments like URG8 and QTPie and Sweet heart were exchanged by all. I gave everyone a special Valentine card and by the end joy abounded around our table, or maybe it was a sugar high, but anyway it seemed like 20 minutes of PERFECT.
The way I wish life could always be as a family.
Then I remember Johoshaphat, the king who didn't destroy all the high places of idol worship, but God still regarded him as pleasing in His sight.
And I think about this queen of the Krumpe household, the one with an idolatrous, selfish, and stubborn nature. But yet, like Jehoshaphat, has a heart that takes delight in the ways of the Lord.
Maybe the Lord will look upon her, like He looked upon Jehoshaphat, and maybe it will also be said of her that she did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and He looked upon her with favor because she walked in His ways.
That is my HOPE from His WORD for all of us this weekend. Perfection is not the standard that God holds us to. If it was why would grace be offered so freely? I needed to grab hold of grace this week and I needed to give it away abundantly too. That, along with taking delight in the ways of the Lord, is the legacy I want to pass on to my children.
XOXO,
Rachael
Linking with:
Tell His Story
Tell Me a True Story
Momma Notes
The Weekend Brew