Psalm 103:5-6, "He fills my life with good things. My
youth is renewed like the eagle's! The Lord gives righteousness and justice to
all who are treated unfairly." (NLT)
Today my darling children turn nine. As my husband and I lay awake last night, we took a walk down memory lane and how far we have come. The years have gone by so quickly and we truly feel blessed to have overcome so much and have such beautiful children. They really have come a long way: born 10 weeks early, Michelle was diagnosed with mild CP as an infant, Daniel had complications with lung development...yet here we are....9-years-old. Unbelievable.
Now it's morning, one child is delighted about the birthday day and can not wait to get to school. The other is bouncing all over the house, I'm just waiting for something to fall and break. What was that feeling I had last night? Blessed? How about stressed?
They may be twins, but they are so different from one another. Personalities have definitely been formed and there are days I struggle to figure out the right formula for parenting each of them. These first four years of school have been enlightening and continue to challenge me. The difficulties I face as a parent, simply helping with homework, make me want to pull my hair out and scream. I can not imagine how a teacher of over twenty students manages to reach every one of them. Confession - teachers amaze me.
What I have learned is that there is no perfect parenting formula. What works for one kid may not work for another. The seemingly perfect algorithm that works one day, could completely miss the mark the next. We were not made to be robotic followers of this world's formulas (although my son sometimes thinks he's a robot!). God constantly reminds me that we are made to be transformed by Him and to be unique. The truth is, when I follow Jesus' teachings I take the time to breathe, reflect and pray with my children. Only then am I able to appreciate their individual qualities, embrace it and help them to complete their tasks.
