I never knew there was so much guilt in parenting! When I run an errand with one of my children and don't take the others who want to go, I feel guilty. When I realize we don't have time to squeeze in a trip to the ice cream shop, I feel guilty. I know I shouldn't, but I do.
Recently I've been struggling with feeling like whatever the problem is, it all comes back to it being my fault. If I get frustrated because my children don't pick up after themselves, that's my fault because I haven't trained them to be consistent in this. If a certain non-talkative son isn't communicating with me, there's always something I could do more of or less of to improve the situation. I convince myself it's my fault. If another certain child misunderstands my directions yet again, it's because I didn't have them repeat back what I asked them to do. Again back to me. It must be my fault.
This type of thinking is just plain selfish.
It's self-centered.
It's not seeking God and praying for wisdom.
It's focusing on myself. Pitying myself.
If you find yourself caught in the deception of "it's all my fault", turn to God. Seek God's Word for wisdom. There has never been a time that I prayed to God for wisdom, that He hasn't given me creative solutions to the problem before me. Never. He is faithful.
Get your eyes off yourself and focus on the One who can solve your parenting issues.
2 comments:
O Ginger! This reminds me of my parents who maybe seven years after my college graduation thought that they had not given me a sufficient gift for the event because they thought I would compare my gift with my brothers graduation gifts! I was so surpised that they had guilt and gave me something else!
Ginger, this is so me, and what you say is so true.
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