Parenthood

I am reading a 'daily' journal called 'When the handwriting on the wall is in brown crayon' - a devotional devoted to busy mothers and todays reading struck me.

Here it is;

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13 v 13

I searched - but there was definitely NOT a packet of instructions attached to my children when they arrived. And none has since come through my letter-box. Lord show me how to be a good parent. Teach me to correct without crushing, help without hanging on, listen without laughing, surround without smothering and love without limit - the way You love me.

And then she wrote further;

Though I lecture and harp at my children and have not love, I will be background noise to rebellious thoughts. And though I wisely warn them not to use the street as a playground, or they'll be killed; and though i patiently explain why snails have mobile homes, and I give endless answers to life's other mysteries; and though U have faith the can remove mountains of ignorance - yet never hug my children - I have taught nothing.
And though I slave over a steaming stove with balanced diets and complicated recipes and even burn my fingers - yet never smile when I serve - i have not really fed them.
A truly loving mother suffers through unfinished sentences, clutter, nicks on the furniture, sleepless nights and adolescent insults and is kind enough to think her kids are the greatest. A loving mother tries not to resent her children for being free like she used to be, and she doesn't brag about how she never spoke to her mother like that.
Real love: considers a childish nightmare more urgent that her need for sleep; is not shattered by the title "Meanest Mum"; doesn't embarrass a toddler who breaks potty training or a teenager who still spills the milk; steadfastly refuses to entertain visions of escape; and does not smirk as her child trips over the toy he refused to put away (but with silent wisdom rejoices in the effective lessons of experience)
Mother-love has arms strong from lifting, a heart large with believing, a mind stretched with hoping, shoulders soft with enduring and knees bent with committing.
True mother love never fails to point her child to the Author of Love

Wow - what a standard and how many times do I fall short of that.
This morning Joshua didn't get dressed in time and because of that he now can't play on the computer - he cries and I tell him that he should of got on with what he was supposed to be doing. If i give in to him I'm not loving him I'm just pandering to him. We all fell out over the cereal this morning, The kids wanted their breakfast faster than I could get it off the tray which so annoyed me at their impatience for breakfast. They don't know how some children won't even get breakfast in the morning, but my reaction was not of love but of annoyance. Oh how far short do I fall.

God help me to be a good parent. What a responsibility you have given to me that you would trust me to raise these two little people to be all You want them to be.