For Mothers Who Wonder

I find myself wondering about a lot of things as a mom. For instance, many of you know that we just started our "real food" journey a few months ago. We don't, however, buy a lot of organic food even though we are eating more real foods. I buy organic fruits and vegetables where I can and we also have started buying organic chicken, but other than that we don't buy organic. I find myself wondering if my kids will be as healthy or as disease-free as kids who have always eaten organic food, especially those whose parents can afford to eat organic exclusively.

We recently looked into the option of Christian school for our children, but at the moment that does not seem like it's a reality for us. I often find myself wondering if my kids will turn out as well as kids whose parents choose/can afford to do Christian school.

At times I'm quick to anger and yell at my children. I find myself wondering if kids who live in a home with parents that don't yell would struggle with anger like my kids seem to at times.

I didn't start my children in sports or the like at age 3. I often find myself wondering if my kids will be as talented & skilled as those whose parents did.

I'm not very structured or organized as a parent. This just seems to be my personality… I find myself wondering if my children will be as disciplined in the future as kids whose parents are organized and structured and stay on top of things.

Sometimes I struggle with consistency as a parent, allowing those tiny battles here and there to be won by my children for sake of not fighting the greater war. I often wonder if this is going to come back and bite me in the teenage years, producing a very disrespectful and rebellious child.

I often wonder about these things and many more every day as mom. I was struck as I read the first chapter of Ephesians that I was essentially looking at elements like food, schedule, discipline and schooling as THE shaping forces of my children's future. As if a certain cocktail of factors, when paired together, would produce the "perfect," successful, Christ-following child. Now granted, I'm not saying that these aspects don't have an effect on a child, and they certainly help in forming and developing your child's character. We should certainly do our utmost to make the best decisions possible when it comes to our children and their future.

But all these things {and many more} come second only to Christ, as it says in Ephesians 1:11-12, "it's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, He had His eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose He is working out in everything and everyone." Only Christ. Not food, not school, not schedule, not discipline, not parenting... You can do everything "right" and still end up with a child who is rebellious and wants nothing to do with God. Conversely, a child reared in an extremely dysfunctional environment can grow up to be on fire for God in a way that is unparalleled. God can use & redeem anything. The trials, the struggles, the hardships, & the failures can all be utilized by God and can just as much, if not more so, shape the person you become. Because if we were perfect parents, there would be no room or need for God.

I encourage you to give yourself a break this Mother's Day. We are all doing the best we can with what we have at the time, and God knows that. My best is different then yours is different then hers, and so on... Breathe in a long, deep sigh of relief as you realize it doesn't all depend on you or even on the choices you make for your child's life. There is something far bigger and more powerful at work in the minds and hearts of our children: it's Christ. He has a purpose and a plan for their lives, and He loves them so much more than you ever could. One of the best things you can do for your children is to be the kind of person that you want them to be. Let's shift the center of our focus to Christ and allow Him to show us who it is that He wants US to be, and by His grace and mercy our children will follow suit.

You're doing a good job, Mama. Have a blessed Mother's Day!!