04.19.04

Today’s devotional was written by Dr. Walker Moore who is president of AweStar Ministries in Tulsa, P. O. Box 470265, Tulsa 74147. You may contact Walker at walker@awestar.org or 800.293.7827. Visit their website at www.awestar.org.

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills. - Deuteronomy 8:7.

A grandfather was walking down the street when he noticed a small boy trying to reach the doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy was very small and the doorbell was too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's effort for some time, the grandfather stepped smartly across the street, walked up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder, leaned over to give the doorbell a solid ring. Crouching to the child's level, the grandfather smiled benevolently and asked, "And now what, little man?" The boy replied, "Now we run!"

Oh, the dilemma of being a parent. It was not too long after I had my second son that I began to seriously pray for the return of the Lord. I know that I am probably the only parent in the world that feels that way, but some days I want to resign from being a parent. Sometimes I feel like saying to my wife, "Now we run!" The only thing that has saved our children from becoming parentless is that my wife and I never had this thought on the same day.

It is every parent's desire that their children grow up and becomes self-sufficient, able to stand on their own two feet. But there is something that makes us feel good when they are dependent and turn to us for help. We never want to feel that our child can live without us. One of the most difficult choices of parenting is when we are standing in the middle of an intersection called "help" or "do not help."

I believe there are two extremes to parenting: the "butterfly parents" and the "sea turtle parents." The "butterfly parents," at the very first sign of seeing their children struggle, run to help them and try to take the struggle away from them. But in nature, if a fully developed butterfly is removed from its cocoon without being allowed to break through, it will not have enough strength to fly in the world. It gains its strength by fighting its way out of the cocoon. In the same way, children who are not allowed to make mistakes or struggle, grow up not knowing how to handle the difficulties of life. Mom and Dad do everything for them. Our children's struggles are not always bad, because at times God is trying to develop strength through testing.

On the other hand is the "sea turtle" type of parenting. The sea turtle, after laying its eggs on the beach, leaves them to hatch on their own. Some parents leave their children to raise themselves without any help, nurturing, direction or love. These children are treated with indifference and usually become "sea turtle" parents themselves.

God has created human parenting hoping that we would seek His wisdom and direction. When we as godly parents find these truths, we can adopt them and look at each other and say. "Now we run." Then you are running in God's direction.

Insight: Confidence in parenting comes from the word of God.

Prayer: Dear Father, teach me how to be a parent. Help me to seek your word and it will be come a light and lamp to guide me in how to raise my children. Through your word I will have the wisdom of Solomon. The patience of Job and the tenacity of Paul in dealing with my children. Amen.