Sometimes a parent feels like resigning.
Barbara Johnson, author of Where Does a Mother Go to Resign? is the founder of Spatula Ministries, a non-profit organization designed to "peel parents off the ceiling with a spatula of love and begin them on the road to recovery.
Before reading her book, I’d heard her speak at a retreat. The hardships and tragedies she went through broke my heart, but she used the pain of life by writing spiritual and humorous books to help others. She is an example as I write about my own experiences with children and family dysfunction.
Isaiah 29:23 is a verse I use to pray about my children. I pray they will keep God’s name holy and acknowledge Him in awe. I also hope those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding and that those who complain will accept instruction.
If you are a parent, you’ve probably felt like resigning. Of course, you love your children and they are precious to you and the Lord, but sometimes relationships with them can hurt. Like Barbara, I’ve needed to be peeled off the ceiling more than once.
It hurts when a parent tries to steer their children to help and wholeness and they don't listen. It hurts to see them in physical or mental pain and not have the resources to help them. It even hurts to back off because you know the Lord wants to help them have a stronger relationship with Him—the ultimate parent.
Yet the Bible says children are God’s best gift to us. Ultimately, they must be put into His hands of sovereignty. We can ask Him to put them on a path that He can bless instead of their own path that might lead to harm and destruction. We can also ask Him to take away the spirit of resignation that may try to overcome us. When we do these things, He sets us up to face another day without sending in that resignation letter.
When you feel like resigning, go to the throne of God where Jesus intercedes to the Father for your children.
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Donna Collins Tinsley is a sister among you who wants to bring a word of comfort and hope to your day. She gives praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for His healing power and for breaking the chains that once held her. She is a sometimes hormonally challenged wife, mother, and grandmother who lives in Port Orange, Florida, and has been included in several magazines and many book compilations. She has also been featured on CBN.com on the “Overcoming Addictions” page and as a devotion contributor to Christian Devotions Ministries and some blurbs for Thriving Family. She is a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. Find her on Facebook where she facilitates the Somebody’s Mother Online Prayer Support Group or at http://thornrose7.blogspot.com.