Train Up a Mom in the Way She Should Go...

Pull up a latte. This one's long, but I couldn't figure out how to edit, since I'm wordy and all, so...

I don't know if you've ever caught the fact that I'm in a bit of a bewildering, befuddling hormonal whirlwind with my children. I often wonder exactly where I am and whether or not we're still in Seattle, Toto.  Even when I click my Emerald City slippers, I still don't exactly feel I've arrived home with this whole mothering of pubescent children thang.  And yet...even in my angstiest times (like that word, angstiest?)...I realize that each day is a gift, and that God not only loves me through these class V rapids, but loves my children (His children) through them, too.  Man, my metaphors are ON FIAH!

Hello, Gretchen...the point?  Okay.  Those who are least equipped to give parenting advice should cowgirl up and give it, no?  Let's call it sharing, instead of advice. I may have been raised as an only child, but I am an expert at sharing (my opinion).

Instead of leading my children through my own mad skilz and expertise, which sounds like nothing but n.a.g.g.i.n.g. to them...Charlie Brown phone call, anyone?  I can lead them to seek God's teaching.  God's point of view.  God's words. And, God's truth, as delivered by the Holy Spirit. 

One day, I was swinging at the end of my rope, and asked my friend Jean, who has been a mom warrior for 27 years, how she disciplined her children (especially) when it came to the sass factor.  She told me that she let her kids know that because they had the Holy Spirit indwelling them, that they HAD A CHOICE in their behavior, and when they were with her, they needed to choose to be respectful. 

Lightbulb.

She also said that she used the Bible--God's Words, not hers--when disciplining her kids.  As they were old enough, she'd send them off to their room with an assigned passage.  Shed' tell them to be quiet before God, and then talk to them about it later.  She's a rock star, that Jean.  And, I apologize if this is common sense and common practice to my cradle Christian friends.  You might even be saying, "duh!", but it was a lightbulb moment for me.  You see, I've taken my children to church.  I've prayed with and for them.  I've even pulled out the spare verse or 2 when talking with or (ahem) yelling at them.  But I've been parenting in my own strength and wisdom too much of the time.

Well, after one particularly snarky day with my Jesus-loving self and children, I decided to try the old "seek God" technique. Well, I'll tell you...I was afraid they'd refuse/laugh/scorn me when I tried this new disciplinary trick.  But, God was/is/will be faithful.  Each time I've used this "technique", it has diffused any anger, and has drawn my kids and me together and toward God.  I'm not (too) naive--I realize one day, I'll hit defiance in this area as in others, but the greatest thing about it is that I have immediate back up.  They are both sold out to Jesus, so it doesn't matter if they're sold out to me.  Jesus isn't a nag.  He's the Great I Am.  I've also realized this is a commitment for me--a very significant butt-kicker in terms of my own preparedness.  I can't just say, "Go read your Bible!", I have to have a planned verse.  So, that means...I have to be reading MY OWN Bible.  See?  Training me up...