Katrina and Parenting

Well I can’t write a blog without at least mentioning Katrina. For many people out there this is the only thing that is going on in their lives right now. I don’t really have any profound thoughts to share about it but I will say please remember and realize how devastating this has been to many people’s lives. I just found out that parents of a friend lost something like three or four homes that they owned and likely everything in it. I don’t have any links for you to go to to help out but I’m sure if you are reading this than you have already been to other blogs that have ways you can help. If not, check out some of the links to your right here. This Guy Falls Down, Ethos and Shlog have some great options.

Let’s try to move on from Katrina for just a little bit. Last night I was reading a selection from Devotions For Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas (thanks Generation Ex Files). This book looks at parenting in the spiritual sense or sacred sense. Many of the devotions help the reader to realize how parenting can bring you into a closer relationship with God.

Last night’s chapter was titled They Just Don’t Understand. Man, what a picture he painted in the first couple of paragraphs. A mother has a daughter who has difficulty walking properly. The mother spends time researching her daughter’s problem, she spends money bringing her to doctors, she spends time at the doctor and 4 hours a week in rush hour traffic getting her there. The great thing is that all this work is making a difference for her daughter’s walking difficulties. The sad thing is that one day as mother was picking up daughter, daughter said, “I’ll never forgive you for doing this to me.” WHAT! All I can think is what kind of ungrateful brat says something like that?

Then the writer says this. “It’s one thing to sacrifice for your child; it’s another thing to have that child look at your sacrifice and act as though it were child abuse.” Ouch! I couldn’t help but think about how often I do that to God. How many times have I looked at the sacrifice he gave and just ignored it? Creating a child that has its own free will has such a great opportunity for incredible love as it does for breaking one’s heart. I guess this is what God goes through with us constantly.

I know I’m quite early on in this parenting thing but as tough as it can be I’m glad God uses it to help us understand who He is better.

I wonder if the more children you have the better you understand God? After all he’s got millions . . .

GL