Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Falling When Skating Hurts


As a parent of 4 kids I am constantly trying to help my kids become who God has created them to be.  What I realized recently is that there are times that I limit them more than I help them.  We had the chance to go to a wedding out of town and we arrived early and were looking for something to do.  In our search for entertainment we found a roller rink.  My kids had never been skating before so I knew this was going to be a day of learning and a great opportunity for me to instruct my kids in how to do something new.  For the first 30 minutes we held their hands and would help them around the rink.  If they would loose their balance we would be there to catch them and help them back up.  After  30 minutes they were not any better at skating than when we started.  The owner of the roller rink approached us and suggested we don't hold their hand and let them learn on their own.  I knew it would be more painful for them but we decided to take her advice. 

 My kids fell and fell and fell and fell some more.  Although it was hard for me to watch as a parent it wasn't long before they were skating and having a blast.  The bible it tells us as parents to train our children in the way they should go. The word "go" is different for every child. So many times I want my kids to do what I want instead of allowing them to be the way that God created them.  There are many things that I enjoy but my kids are wired differently and don't enjoy them.  God has entrusted us to raise them to be godly.  If they truly love God then everything else will take care of itself. God has created them uniquely and we should treat them as individuals.  I've been challenged to not limit my kids growth but to allow them to grow in the way God created them.  Sometimes that means I have to let go and watch them skate.  

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