Thursday, March 27, 2008

3 Tools for Parents

We all have those days when we feel like no one understands exactly how challenging and stretching our role is as a mom. I want to encourage you to consider three important tools for helping you through those difficult times.

1. Positive Friend or Mentor - When you are feeling down, discouraged or completely worn out, a friend or mentor can help to lift you up. We all need a boost from a friend or mentor to give us a new perspective on life especially when we are frazzled. A mentor or seasoned mom can help us see the bigger picture and recognize “this too shall pass.” A friend is one who can give us a good word of encouragement or a much needed listening ear. She can reassure us that we are normal and help us think through our options. A friend can also help us see that certain things just aren’t worth getting angry or upset over in big scheme of life.
2. Patience in the Process – Patience is perhaps one of the most loving gifts we can give our family. Impatience, rage or anger only stirs up emotions, often with negative results. A mother’s patience can make a world of difference in the peace and love exhibited in the home. Patience when our son just doesn’t seem to get it and needs to be disciplined again. Patience with our daughter as she struggles through a tough class at school. Patience as our kids learn to get along and share with one another. Patience with our husband. We need God’s help and strength to be patient moment by moment as often it doesn’t come naturally. We begin by recognizing God’s patience and kindness toward us. We must also recognize the importance of our patience and the tone it sets in the home. Let’s choose to be intentionally patient and wait on God’s timing in our life and those of our kids.
3. Prayer for Wisdom and Strength – Prayer is powerful and effective in diminishing our worries and challenges. Often circumstances or our children’s challenges seem too big to us. We look at it and think we could never make it through, but prayer turns our eyes upward to a God of hope. As we seek his wisdom and direction we begin to see that it is not as difficult as we first imagined. As we take bold steps forward with his help we are able to step by step, bit by bit move forward toward solutions. When we cast our cares on Him, our burden doesn’t seem so big and overwhelming. Prayer peels away the layers of worry which so easily surround a situation.

Three essential tools for every mom: positive friends, patience and prayer! Each of us have these tools available to us, we just need to employ them in our lives. You see, these essential tools are not just for moms at wits end, they are for each of us everyday for all of our life. As we allow positive friends, patience and prayer to flourish in our lives we become a positive influence and example in the lives of everyone around us.

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