Yes,
Parenting.
Can you say surreal?
Grace-based parenting.
I love the name of it.
I love the idea of it.
I'm overwhelmed at the thought of it.
I'm excited to step up and apply what I've learned.
While listening
While learning,
There were some ways, I was proud of myself.
In other ways, I was appalled at myself.
In every way, I know that I can't do any of this
Without God's grace
God's wisdom
God's help.
 |
| The key illustration to Tim Kimmel's Grace-Based Parenting books and studies |
The girls and I attending a school event
And took two other girls I used to tutor
Bowling.
And thus began my first challenge of how to begin to implement what I have learned this weekend.
(Yes -
A whole 1 hour after leaving the conference.
No rest for the weary or blown-minded!)
For the first game
I decided we didn't need bumper lanes.
Then one of the foster daughters spent most of the game
Whining
Complaining
Stomping
Pouting
Asking for the bumpers to be put up.
AND
She had the best score of ANY of the four girls!
I gave some warnings.
I gave some looks.
I pulled her aside.
We had a "character talk."
We had a "watch as I model correct behavior" time.
(In other words,
I spoke directly and made her miss a turn.)
I knew I was failing miserably already at this
Grace-based parenting.
Crap.
Then,
For the sake of the other girls,
(And I made sure this was communicated to the whiner)
I asked to have the bumpers added for game two.
And
Then
The other daughter decided to
Mope
Withdraw
Shut-down
And have an attitude the size of the Grand Canyon.
Why?
Because her score wasn't much higher with the bumpers than it had been without.
Seriously?
I can't catch a break today!
She too received a
"Character talk"
And
"Watch as we model correct behavior" show.
Inwardly,
I was berating myself.
How could I sit through 7+ hours of
Grace-based parenting training
And feel like I spinning my wheels 2 hours later?
Dinner was a solemn occasion.
The evening was sort of blah.
And then came Bible reading time.
The story of Abraham
And the Lord telling him to sacrifice Isaac.
We are currently reading each story out of three different
Children's bible story books
And then looking up and reading key chapters of the story in the Bible.
This,
Thankfully,
Was not the first night we had covered this story,
But tonight,
One question about the story lead to a long Q&A time.
Here is a sampling of a few that are still mulling around in my own head -
"If God knows everything, then that means that God already knew that Abraham would already be willing to obey and trust God and do what He said - so then why did God even ask him to do it in the first place?"
"If God knows everything, then He already knows who is going to go to heaven and who isn't, so why do we have to accept Him in our hearts?"
"If God knows everything, then why didn't he just stop Satan from going into the Garden of Eden and causing Adam and Eve to sin?"
"If God knows everything and can do everything, then why does He need angels?"
"What does it mean that if we don't forgive someone then we can't be forgiven?"
(Someone was listening to Down Gilead Lane's message today!)
"What does Jesus and God look like?"
"What are we going to do in heaven all day?"
"I know I asked you before, but I still wonder how God got there in the first place."
"How does God speak to you and "lead" you like you always say?"
"So is the Holy Spirit like a real ghost?"
Despite feeling completely overwhelmed
And inadequate
About answering these questions,
I was comforted some by our talk.
I must be doing something right.
They feel freedom to ask me questions that
They have been harboring and wondering about
And feel freedom and trust in me to seek the answers
And feel freedom and trust in me to question my answers.
And I'm glad I can be there for that
And that the Lord gives me words to say something in response
To put their sweet, spongy minds at ease
Or to give them something to consider.
Through the ups and downs
And missteps and screw ups
I LOVE what the Lord has called me to do
And I can feel His hand providing me
(And my tongue)
With His wisdom,
His strength,
His grace,
Every
Single
Day.
Now...
Lest you think I am getting haughty,
Feeling too proud of that
Deep
Theological
Spiritual
Conversation
Never fear,
I quickly screwed up again when I went into their bathroom
And found that they have been out of body wash for "awhile"
And one has been using NO soap
And the other was using shampoo.
Seriously?!?!
Guess we need to make a Sam's Club run tomorrow.
Sigh.
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