"I want a sister. I am lonely," cried the little girl as she quit a game of football with her brothers.
Take that up with Jesus. Share with him about your loneliness.
"You need to put him to bed or something. Get him out of here!" said the oldest as his little brother entered his room.
I am not going to do that right now, he can have a turn playing. Go to Jesus with your emotions regarding your little brother.
"Why don't you ever let us watch these movies. Everyone watches them. All of our friends!" said all the children.
They aren't honoring to the Lord. I pray one day you will understand.
You are loved more than you could ever imagine. I don't pray for you to understand that or grasp it. I pray for strength to continue to love you as I am called. I am called to equip you for life. I am called to instruct you in how to navigate your way. I can't prepare you for your future by preparing all things your way. That isn't how the world works. I have to train you for entering that battlefield. Which means I have to withhold some things. I need to challenge you to actions. I need to allow you to wrestle with your emotions and with the Lord.. alone..just between you and Him. But I can give you guidance now.. I can teach you scripture, I can live and model by example...so when you are an adult, you will know how to seek the Lord.
We come wired to be selfish and seek immediate circumstantial joy in all things. I have 18 years (Lord willing) to help reset(with the Lord's help) that default, and if I am successful, more after that. You will experience pain and disappointment in this world. You must have practice while under my care. That means I can't give you everything you want. I can't keep you from having to work and share, because those qualities are actually life-giving to us and our future. It will not be my goal to make things easy for you (although I grieve when you grieve), it will however, be my desire to point you to Christ... the author and perfector of your faith. I will pray that all things... joyful and painful..be a means to perfect your faith in Him.
Tough love? Yes. But not in the since, "suck it up, buddy... that's life!" kind of tough love. Tough love meaning in sweat and tears and wrestling will I fight for you. Daily, hourly, will I battle in prayer the lies the culture speaks to you that are contrary to TRUTH. Daily, hourly, will I battle the lies the world whispers to me of guilt when you are sad... when you are deprived of "happiness" (worldly speaking)... in tears I will fight in prayer for your heart to grasp TRUE joy.. the unwaivering, unfailing, uplifting, grace-giving, always forgiving kind of joy.. flowing... EVER flowing from a life found in Christ. This joy that so often can only be drawn through wells of sorrow and heartache.
I am doing you a gross disservice if I plan your days around your TV shows, vacations, foods you crave, games and vices you seek at your leisure. If I deprive you of learning how to work with no reward. ask forgivness and experience someone asking of you forgiveness, experiencing conflict.. resolving conflict...thinking of others.. serving others....waiting and waiting for desires... experiencing "no" answers to prayers. I can't keep cancer from affecting those you love. I can't keep a friend from breaking your heart or exposing your heart to evil. (I can try... wow, I can try)... but evil happens. everywhere. because we live in a broken, evil place. I must teach you to find the beauty here. how to shut out to screams of internet, netflix, amazon, fed-ex trucks, cell phones, ipods..pads..texts...beeps EVERYWHERE.. and notice the dandelion. Breath in the fragrance of a tea olive shrub. Pet an animal. Observe a bird. Sit on the floor and stack blocks. Kick a ball. Jump in a creek. Be silent. Love God's word.
These are the reminders of Him. The enemy tries to drown Him out. Evil tries to darken what Christ brings to light. in Him, you will always find the light. always. Enjoy what He HAS given you. If only this day it is but a wild flower. You are dearly loved.
--said the parent to the child
