Here's what I've dealt with this week and remember, it's only Tuesday!
"I'm not wearing a skirt or a dress to church on Easter!"
"I don't like going shopping because you always end up yelling at me!"
"I just wish my thighs and tummy looked like the other girls."
"I want to be popular but I've noticed the popular girls are mean to my friends. Sometimes that scares me."
Sometimes the pressure of being a parent is overwhelming. We make decisions for our children every day that could potentially impact the rest of their lives. No pressure there, right? And, have you realized that the baggage we carry around in our own hearts often seeps into our relationships with our kids? How convicting is that?
(Disclaimer: this picture has nothing to do with this post. It's simply the eye candy needed during a heavy post!)
As you can clearly see from my daughter's words above, I'm not the perfect mom. But you know what? I try hard and I always have their best interest in mind. That's all I can expect of myself.
Two things I do with my kids that make a difference.
1) I pray with them. They hear me talk to God and I allow them to hear me ask God to forgive me for "yelling" at them. They also listen to me praise Him for making them so amazingly beautiful inside and out. I love listening to their prayers too. Boy, they can blow me away sometimes!
2) I talk to them in the dark. Honestly, I think I'll put my kids to bed as long as they'll let me. There's just something about laying side by side, in the dark, that opens up their little mouths and brings forth the truth of their hearts.
So, friends, let's say an extra little prayer for our mom friends today. If you have something that's been heavy on your heart and you'd like to 'talk' about it more, leave me a comment or send me an email: dfrieling1@gmail.com.
