Victoria KimbleI’m not the one who made this up, so don’t give me any credit for it. But I think all parents need to hear this:
You can’t protect your kids from their own testimony.
Our kids are going to go through stuff. They are going to mess up, and they are going to make choices that will have less than desirable results. They are going to have to deal with the consequences of their choices in big and small ways that shape who they are.
We want to do so much for our kids. We want to save them from mistakes. We want to provide every opportunity that we had as kids, and especially the opportunities we didn’t have. We want to prepare them for every outcome, and walk with them as they navigate every single aspect of life. The good, and the bad.
But it’s time to admit how unrealistic it is. We simply cannot do all of this. We can do our best. We can prepare them for some things. We can provide as many experiences as possible, but not every one. There just isn’t time.
Our kids don’t want us by their side every second, to be honest. They are so eager to spread their wings and try things out on their own. And as their parents, we should want this for them. Because they lessons they learn after trying things on their own are lessons they’ll carry with them far longer than the ones they simply hear from our mouths.
In all this, remember God. God has a plan and a story for your children. There are so many situations that He will use to call them to Him, and to show them His glory. If we shelter them from everything we can think of, they might miss a chance to experience God in a way that He wants to use in the future.
I’m not saying that we should just let our kids go do everything that comes in their heads. I am saying that whatever happens in their testimony is not a reflection on us or on our parenting skills. It’s just a fact: our kids are going to go through things. Our job is to be there when they need us, to guide them if at all possible, and to trust God with their stories.
God is trustworthy and faithful. You can trust Him with your kids.
If you are the one who coined that phrase, please drop me a comment! I would love to edit this post to give you full contribution.
Misha
Kristen Gwen
Carol Eaton
Wise words, Victoria. As parents we are prone to either take credit for our “good” parenting when our children are doing well, or we blame ourselves when they are not. We forget our children will make their own decisions, regardless of how good or poor we parent. Thankfully, we can trust God to work in their lives, despite their parents!
There is so much wisdom here. I was ready to write my parenting book, and then my third child came along. (j/k!) Thank you for sharing your heart!