Parenting

Please tell me I am not the only mom that sometimes looks at her children and feels a little panic, like "How in the world did I ever think this was a good idea? That I could do this mothering thing?"
Especially after seeing a bad story on the news, I get nervous about my children going into such a sinful, scary world, all I need to teach them, and equip them with......etc, etc. It can feel so overwhelming at times! So this morning when I came across this Jeremiah Burroughs quote in my facebook memories I saw it in a new light, thinking of it in regard to parenting.

"Perhaps God sees it is better for you to live in a continual dependence upon Him, and not to know what your condition shall be on the morrow, than for you to have a more settled condition in terms of comfort of the creature. Christ does not teach us to pray, "Lord, give me enough to serve me for two or three years," but, "This day our daily bread." This is to teach us we must live upon God in a dependant condition every day."

So today we will focus on being kind to siblings, sharing, our Bible reading, catechism question 9, and the hundred other things that parenting littles brings up every day, and will try to do our best with today, and leave the future in the Lord's hands. Trust that He will give us the grace and wisdom and abilities we need for all tomorrows when that time comes! Hard work for a parent who likes to be in control! But for the record, as overwhelming as parenting sometimes is, I wouldn't change a thing, and I feel very blessed to have been given these little ones to parent. And a couple thoughts to finish off with -

"Always follow your work with believing prayer."

"Live one day at a time, no more. It is the burden of one day that the Lord carries. 'Give us this day our daily bread.'"

Andrew Bonar