We’re far from perfect parents. But as we reflect over almost 37 years of parenting, we are thanking God for Start-Overs.
We don’t get Do-Overs in Parenting, but we do get Start-Overs
The photos above are our wonderful kids and their spouses. Robin (dressed like a bandit) and her husband CJ are on a motor scooter in one of the many exotic cities they like to visit. Jason and his wife Heather are right at home in Packer Stadium. On the right of that photo are our “cheese-head” grandsons.
I hesitated before deciding on my theme today. We are not perfect parents! But we have been blown away by several things God has taught us about parenting.
- We really need our perfect God to be half-way decent parents
- Kids are pretty resilient and so incredibly forgiving
- While there’s no do-overs in parenting, every morning brings a new chance at starting over.
After 18 years of marriage we did ‘start over’ when we both changed our path in life to follow Jesus. Our transformation didn’t happen overnight and sometimes it looked pretty messy. But we never regretted that start over!
Are you Ready for a Start-Over?
Maybe you’re like us. Maybe you didn’t start out right in parenting. But today, you can choose to start over. When we started over, our son Jason was almost a teenager. That seems like a late start with a kid. But 24 years later, he still has a lot of living left.
If you are ready for a fresh start, here’s a suggestion. Read the following verse and pray this short prayer each morning. It’s a small step, but big things always start with a small step.
“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind, is anything too hard for me?”
God, please help me to be a better parent to my child.
Jeremiah 32:27
Thank God for Start-Overs
Our kids are both married to amazing people and we can see evidence in their marriages of dedication, mission, and teamwork. We hope to be able to continue pointing them in the way they should go as we live our lives. Whether we know it or not, the way we live out our relationship makes an impact on our children, even if they are adults. In a way, each home is really a ‘Marriage University.’
For more information about this post, download and read my free resource, No Greater Love. It will help answer any questions you may have about following Jesus and beginning your own ‘start-over.’
Dedicate your children to God and point them in the way that they should go, and the values they’ve learned from you will be with them for life.”
Proverbs 2:6 TPT
…because U count, deb