Growing in Grace

At some point when The Boys were little I realized that I was not raising little boys, but rather, I was called to raise Men who would serve God in their generation.  As the Lord has allowed me the privilege to be a mother, I have found that this is the highest calling of my life.  They are in their young twenties just now, and my role as mother has shifted and changed with the seasons, but one thing is clear… Seasons change and we all need to grow up.

When The Boys were young, we read Dr. Seuss and watched videos over and over and over.  We sang sweet little songs and colored pictures. I never made them color inside the lines.  We made our own play dough, pudding paint and played in the sandbox.  Friends were always over and on several occasions our den was filled with nine or ten eight,nine and ten year old boys.  Yes. I was insane.

Growing up is hard sometimes.  We experienced hurt feelings, nosebleeds, black eyes, and chicken pox.  We went through a round of the stomach bug a few times, broken bones and stitches, strep throat, ear infections. We went though the emotions of being between two and three years old and then ten and fifteen.  We learned how to drive cars and drive each other crazy with our individual quirks and oddities. Transitioning between seasons can be wonderful, stressful and move us on in faith.

There have been moments when Mike and I could have parented in a way that seemed harsh to our sons.  Truthfully, we probably were harsh with them at times.  We could have been all about what is practical, logical and calculated when it came to school, sports, extra curricular activities, college prep and career planning.  But we opted to seek to teach our sons to be men of character and integrity and to seek the Lord for His best and their blessed life.  Prayerfully hoping that the Walk of Faith they have seen in our lives has motivated, encouraged and inspired them and not caused them to stumble or to become stuck.  We have prayed that their own walks with God will be walks that are full of journeys of adventure and challenge and hope and love and grace.  Oh, God… please, let it be so. 

After a conversation with our youngest recently that could have resulted differently had we not approached the moment in grace, I realized for the millionth time of parenting, that we have seriously tried to be the best parents to these boys that we could. We have sought the Lord, prayed diligently, believed God’s word over their lives and then prayed some more.  We have believed the word of God and tried to teach them in the way they are naturally inclined to go… adjusting our parenting to their learning styles and personalities.  We are not, have not, nor will we be perfect parents… but we have desperately wanted to be. 

I am thankful that while we have had some ups and downs and some really regretful parenting moments, we have a great relationship with these young men.  I count them my best of friends whom I love most to be around.  They are funny, intellectual, handsome, kind, loving and honest.  I love them so!

I am also thankful that God, in His great mercy, has enough grace to make up the difference between what we lack and Who He IS… Almighty God and Father of us all. 

The Word. Worship. Prayer.

These are my Roots.