Being Walked...

Ever taken a dog for a walk, but actually the DOG ends up taking (dragging) you behind? How about as a parent... ever think that you ARE the one making all of the rules only to realize that in fact, your child has made up the RULES of which you are now a devout follower? Been there? Oh please say you have!

Yesterday was Caden's 26th month birthday... it really is getting hard to keep up with this month to month thing. But I just can't stand myself not to. It was hard enough for me to go to bed last night realizing I hadn't posted anything to commemorate the 26th month of his life. It was the FIRST of the month! This month, though, I want to do things a little differently. While, this post will certainly still weigh heavily on the "all about Caden-side" I want to throw in my perspective a bit too... as a mom and as a PARENT! I feel it only fair considering...

My mom, the brilliant KK, has always told me, "It's really easy to be a bad parent, BUT it is REALLY hard to be a good one!" Can I get an AMEN sister?! I couldn't agree with that statement more. Being a mom is the fun part... the snuggles, the amazement, the wonder, the moments when time stands still, and others when the moments fly right by. Being a mom is the greatest gift I will ever receive on this earth... hands down! And I am so THANKFUL for that gift!

Now let's flip flop and head over to the parent side... HARD, TIRING, EXHAUSTING, IMPORTANT, CRITICAL, CONFUSING... It's hard to be a good parent!

The hardest part of being a good parent (and I'm going to go ahead and believe that I'm a GOOD parent because if you don't have faith in yourself then you can just forget it... you can go ahead and accept your defeat!) So back to what I was saying... the hardest part of being a good parent for me is discipline. Figuring out what to do, when to do it, when to modify it... is it working? Does he understand? Am I making my expectations clear? Is he too young? Too old? It is okay to raise my voice? Not okay? To spank, to not... to use time out, to not!

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6

That's the goal right? Set boundaries, expectations and limits that help your child understand obedience in the simplest form. If they don't understand how to obey you, how will they ever obey the Father?! So we work, from the beginning to make this happen... we know we should do it, so we do it! We train our children up in the way they should go... and that is the way of the Lord, no doubt, but OH what an OCEAN that encompasses!

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.

Proverbs 29:17

Doesn't that sound lovely? Train up your child and don't forget that discipline part and then SIT BACK AND RELAX... he will give you rest! It wasn't until the last month that I REALLY figured out what wisdom that verse was ACTUALLY trying to impart...

Discipline your son, and he will give you rest, BECAUSE you are gonna be DAD-GUM TIRED by the end of each day if you're doing it right... because DISCIPLINE is HARD! BUT, once he's an adult and you've done your job... he will give delight to your heart! Yep... NO REST FOR THE WEARY right now! You've got work to do Momma! And don't we all know it!

Katie 1:1

Caden's newest thing is SCREAMING at me! And let me just tell you HOW I KNOW that theHoly Spirit is at work in me EVERY day... you wanna know how I KNOW?! Simple... I am not screaming back at him!! MIRACLE! Because let me just tell you... when he gives me the Kevin McAllister (Home Alone), mouth full open, ONLY VERY ANGRY scream, it is ALL I can do to not mock that same scream right back at him! Wouldn't that send him for a trip? If I just lost it?! If I Kevin McAllister'ed him?! Ooooo man... the look on his face would be priceless and it would probably look similar to the way mine looked the first time he did that to me!

Now, I'm not saying that I don't raise my voice because I do! I mean if Caden couldn't hear an "air-tane" from neighborhoods away then I would think he might have some sort of hearing problem because one, two, three times doesn't seem to work. BUT raising my voice sure does... and not in anger (most of the time)... but in that I am SO SERIOUS MISTER tone... But who really wants to go around sounding like that all day? Not my first choice, but it happens... a lot!

Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Hebrews 12:9-11

Hallelujah! There is a purpose! There is EVEN a purpose for "poo poo hands!" And I'm gonna continue to train Caden not to stick his hands in his poop! I know it seems like a WELL DUH moment for most, but for Caden... it's a training thing! And by golly I'm gonna train him up to leave his poo poo alone! AND all of this discipline/training (poo-poo related or not) will someday lead him into a place where he can ascertain what it is that God is asking of him and he will be able to LISTEN and OBEY and in turn yield the peaceful fruit of righteousness! AMEN!

Not gonna be easy... is it? I'm gonna get "walked" sometimes... aren't I?! BUT I'm not alone! And that same Spirit who enables me to not "go all toddler" on Caden's bones is the same one who will one day reside in Caden and whisper, "Listen, Caden... and Obey! You've done this before!"

Praise Jesus... He is the one walking one step ahead!!