September 28: Parental exasperation

Isaiah 51:1-57:13

Ephesians 6:1-24

Psalm 70:1-5

Proverbs 24:8

I admit, I exasperate my children.  A lot.  Feel free to ask my daughter, particularly when it comes to her studies; or my middle child, my son, when it comes to being nice to his younger brother.  Or the youngest one, my second son, when I tell him to listen to me and his mother.  I've exasperated them all their lives in the pursuit of worldly goals, goals I imbibed growing up despite my parents' best efforts, values I continue to cling to despite the relationship I profess to seek with God.  How difficult to "bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" when the parent continues to struggle to develop that relationship himself.  It is sometimes so frustrating, I wonder why God would have granted my children, whom He loves more than I ever could, so large a handicap in the search for Him as a parent who himself struggles to find the way?

What a relief it is to read His own words of reassurance amidst the uncertainty.  When I do not understand, He reminds me that "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways; As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."  And when He chose me to be my children's father - indeed when He chose anyone to be parent to a child - He did so with full knowledge and love for both parent and child. . And He reminds me that, when I need help, I can "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests", with the "full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes" - these schemes to plant and nurture doubt in my heart and mind, to question the love, the provision, even the very existence of our Lord.  How nice that when overwhelmed by the world and its assault, I can cry out to God to save me, to "come quickly, Lord, to help me."  And He will not delay.  

I exasperate my children, and will likely continue to do so, despite my best efforts, for as long as I live.  Thank God He is there to save them despite my best efforts at their salvation.