Repost :: Meet Them {Grace}

Grace.  Show me one that doesn’t need more of it … show me one that doesn’t need to give more of it.  I’ve picked this post as my favorite because my daily prayer as of late, is the ability to show more grace to my children.  I need to meet them where they’re at.  I need to remember God is far from finished with them.  I need to remember they deserve nothing less than the grace my Savior has shown to me.

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  You know that
Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by
his becoming poor you might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NCV

We were born sinners.  But our Father wanted more for us.  He wants us to live.  Full.  So He sent His Son to meet us where we’re at and offer us a life of salvation and richness.

Are you meeting your girls where they’re at?
It took me quite a few too many years to realize I had pretty. high. expectations for my children.  The teen in particular.  Taylor was 8ish years old and we were arguing over a certain pair of pants that she wanted to wear.  They were about 2 inches too short … she didn’t care … but I did.  Too much.

She yelled at me, “you just want me to be perfect!”  And that stopped me in my tracks.  I don’t ever want my girls to think I want them to be perfect.  I don’t want them to ever live up to my standards.

It was an important lesson for me in meeting my girls where they’re at.  How do I do that?  Most importantly, I listen.  God’s created them all differently.  What’s important to one, isn’t important to the other.  What embarrasses one, is lost on the other.

I’ve learned to find out who each of my girls are and to meet them there.  To guide them, help them, direct them, pray over them … and most importantly, to let them know I am sitting right there beside them.  I’m not ahead.  I’m not behind.  I’m right where they’re at, and together, with our Lord, we’ll move when they’re ready.

Isn’t that what our Father does with us?  Should we be offering our children any less?

Do you offer your daughters the same grace Christ extends to you?
Sometimes I don’t.  Quite honestly, sometimes I forget.  Sometimes I get very caught up in the stress of the day … the stress of life and I end up putting that on my girls.  Most often it’s the teen that’ll say, “why are you taking that out on me?”  And the Lord humbles me, and I apologize.

Again, I believe this goes back to understanding who your children are.  Piper, my 8yo, forgets quickly and gets distracted easily.  “Responsible” isn’t a word I’d use to describe her … yet.

Have you read the book “The Blessing?”  If not, I highly recommend it.  Here’s a small example of what I learned from it in how to talk to Piper.

So … I finally get all 4 girls into the car on our way to school.  I’m in the driver’s seat, turn around and do a final check for jackets and backpacks.  Piper forgot both.  I send her back into the house to get them.  Some 5 years later, she comes back out without either.  “Um, Pipes, did you forget something?”  Now here would be the normal insert of yelling and frustration and “what in the world were you doing for the last 5 years and why are you so irresponsible?!”

It’s not always easy, but “The Blessing” taught me instead of yelling in frustration, to speak words of blessing to her.  Something like, “Piper, one of these days you are going to be the most responsible person I know and you’re going to remember everything the first time it needs to be done.  The Lord isn’t done with you yet.”

You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  You know that
Christ was rich, but for you he became poor so that by
his becoming poor you might become rich.
2 Corinthians 8:9 NCV

He became poor.  So that by his becoming poor, you might become rich.  Because of grace … He left everything.  He lost everything.  To meet us.  Where we’re at.

Again I ask … should we be offering our children any less than what our Heavenly Father has given to us?

i'm a child of God, mother of 4 daughters, wife to an amazing guy, photographer, blogger, twitterer, living with MS … and blessed beyond belief! you can chat with me here @tmstier, be encouraged here {tsj} photography, and find my new e-book here 31 days of faith.

Tracie

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