parenting pain

I recently had the privilege of being part of a group praying for the wayward grandchild of a friend. Once you are a parent you share this common ability to almost feel the pain of another dealing with a wayward child.

I would suspect the pain caused by disobedience or struggling children must be among the most excruciating experienced in this life. I know even as I watched my kids from time to time struggle with decisions - it pierced my heart deeper than any worry or pain outside of parenthood that I have ever experienced. The desire to protect and prevent 'hard things' can often get in the way of letting them learn from their mistakes.

As we listened to the details our friend was going through - I felt pain as if the child was my own.

Later that day still thinking about him and praying for his family, again feeling the heaviness of worry and concern, God brought something to mind...

Is this how He feels about His children when we sin - when we don't consider His instructions meticulously laid out in the Bible explaining how our decisions should be made? An explanation created by the sacrifice of His son?

I wonder if the nail pierced scars throb with each sin that we decide to commit? How often have I caused Him to experience the pain of a wayward child ...

Feel the weight of worry and pain your children sometimes cause you and understand that it is fully comparable to what God feels each time we decide to gossip, criticize or disobey. Committing daily sin is a choice no matter how hidden from others that God sees each day. I hope to keep this comparison fresh in my heart as I look forward to a new week. His continuing forgiveness completely overwhelms me...just like that of a parent loving a child despite their sin.