As my little lady grows, she develops more & more of her personality. She is learning more words like, “please”, “thank you”, “night night”, & her most favorite & used word to date, one of her cousin’s names – “Georgia”, but with that comes some not so adorable things.
She’s beginning to understand that she can tell her dad & I no know when doesn’t want to do something. And by tell us no, I mean scream it in our faces. And when we won’t let her do something she wants to do, she has no problem throwing herself on the ground kicking & screaming.
I naively thought that we would be exempt from this kind of behavior. After all, up until this point, she has been such a happy & sweet baby with such a calm disposition. However…we are in the throes of raising a strong-willed child And Iknow that it will only magnify the older & more independent she gets.
There are days when Jordan and I feel REALLY defeated in our parenting. We often will say, “What are we doing wrong? Why is she so upset with us?” There was one Sunday that really sticks out in my mind as a day that we were struggling HARD. We were driving to church & I could feel the tension, frustration and exhaustion in the car. We begrudgingly walked into church & pretended like we were happy to be there when in reality, it was probably anything but that. And then the Lord worked in the mysterious way that only He can do.
During worship one of the lyrics just hit me in my core.
“I will build my life upon your love, it is a firm foundation. I will put my trust in you alone & I will not be shaken”
I canNOT be a successful parent, wife, daughter, sister…you name it, without the grace & strength of the Lord living & flowing through me. It was such an “ah-ha” moment for me. I need to put my trust in the Lord & HE will provide me with the patience & knowledge to raise my strong-willed baby girl into a powerful woman of God. At the end of the day, that is all I want for her. I pray every day that she has a heart & a fire for the Lord. Who knows, maybe her strong personality will translate into being a powerful instrument for Him & His glory.
All of this to say – if other moms or parents are feeling defeated & like they are constantly failing their kids, remember YOU ARE NOT ALONE! God is always with you, whether you realize it or not. And knowing that little bit of information, well that gives me all the peace I need.
Thanks for stopping by, friends!
Grit & Grace Blog 