The Treasure at the End of the Trail

Being alone with 3 little boys all day long can wear on me. I love them dearly, but the collective whining, arguing, crankiness and demanding nature of children can overwhelm me at times (like today). Sometimes I wonder if I have what it takes. Gary Thomas says that "If God gives us situations we already have the strength to handle, we won't have to grow in order to deal with them."

He says that "our first and natural inclination in any trial is to pray for God to remove the difficulty". (Obviously, that isn't an option in parenting!) "But God's first priority is often to strengthen us in the midst of the difficulty rather than to take us out of the difficulty. That's because he can see the treasure that lies at the end of the trail".

And just what is the treasure? "No matter how difficult our children may be, God can and will use them to shape our souls into his Son's image. No matter how many bumps we may hit or bends we may have to negotiate along the road to raising our children, God promises to guide our steps, strengthen our stride, and refresh our souls. He knows we are insufficient, but he points us to his Son's provision and his Spirit's comfort, guidance, and power, all of which more than meet our needs. Even if we don't see all the results we like to see, at least we're getting steady reminders of God's patience and long-suffering toward us. Parenting may not be an easy journey, but in this it is truly a sacred one". (from Sacred Parenting)