Golden Linings: Time with God Blog One: Gazing Up….
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
Recently, I was thinking about a parenting dilemma I was facing in my life. At the time, all I could see is the “impossible”…all those reasons this issue could not and would not be resolved. I thought of all the deficiencies in my parenting and myself. I considered the challenges facing my child. Whew! This seemed overwhelming!
And then it hit me. Where was my faith in all this? When and how had I given this to God?
In reality, I hadn’t. So, my mind could only dwell and focus on the “I can’ts.” I realized my mind is connected to my heart and my heart is connected to my spirit—or soul. All of those affect my faith, and I hadn’t connected ANYTHING to my God at this point. How could He help me if I couldn’t and wouldn’t let go of it?
Instead of looking down, I began to look up. Rather than seeing all that was wrong and how my life felt half empty, I began to fill my glass by turning my view, my perspective, and looking up. I began to consider the strengths I had as a parent—especially through God. I realized the possibilities in my child—-after all, he was created for God’s purpose.
Wow! The gaze and possibilities changed drastically when I did that. I recalled the scripture above, knowing my God was bigger than any problem that I or my child faced, and through Him, the issue would be resolved. Perhaps not to my understanding or in my time (I’m very impatient), but in a way that would be best for me and my child—as well as so many others (which my own limited perspective often fails to see!).
I also recalled the book (The Power of Habits, by Charles Duhigg) I had recently read about habits of mind and how that affects our actions—and thus our lives and ultimately the quality of our lives. Two more scriptures came to mind and I read them repeatedly as I prayed. I also shared these scriptures with my child and asked him to pray as well:
Psalms 46:1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Philippians 4:6
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Suddenly, my dilemma did not seem so big…so overwhelming…so impossible. It wasn’t so heavy on my heart because I had chosen to give it to God and move forward in faith. I wasn’t quite sure how or when the issue would be resolved, but I knew it would be in God’s time and in God’s way, and that was good enough for me—and for my child.
What parenting or life issue is weighing you down today? How can you let go and give that to God? What strengths do you and your child have which God can and will use in this process?
Record your problem in a journal and periodically check back after much prayer. Step out in faith and see the possibilities rather than the impossibilities. Know that God is bigger than anything you will ever face as a parent. He loves you and your child and He walks beside both of you. Stay on His path and believe as you share your faith with your child. Check back periodically and record the wonders of how He is handling the problem—rather than how YOU and your child are attempting to do it. We are limited. God is not. Change your gaze. Hindsight is 20-20, but faith makes all things possible….especially when you gaze upward and let God guide you.
Pam Bradley, EdD
Independent Life Coach/Consultant, BCC
Website: pambradley.net
918-360-1320
pambradley7@gmail.com
Look for my soon-to-be-published book on Faith-based Parenting.