Desperate Parenting

“As the deer pants for the water, oh my soul longs after you!” Psalm 42: 1

         “Desperate times call for desperate measures!”

This week as I have prayed for friends with a variance of needs, I have recognized they feel…well…desperate.

A daughter, desperate for her father’s life.

An Aunt, desperate for her nephew’s legal entanglement.

A mother desperate over her son’s physical and mental limitations.

Wives desperate for their aging husbands.

And mother’s desperation for wisdom and strength to direct their children.

I considered those God recorded in His Word who were desperate.

Abraham for a son.

Jacob for a blessing.

Gideon for a sign.

Esther for her people.

Jarius for His daughter.

A thief for his destiny.

         Our desperate crys are not a surprise to our Heavenly Father.  Remember, He knows the need before we ask. (Matthew 6:8)

         I believe, as The Lord sifts circumstances through His fingertips to determine what may enter our lives, He gingerly picks those that will cause desperation.  Knowing that ultimately this desperation will draw us to Him.  He is the only solution for every circumstance we face. 

         Today as we find ourselves: with a toddler who won’t listen, or take a nap or eat their food; or our elementary aged child who refuses to obey our instructions; or our secondary child who is running with the wrong influences or our adult children who want to live without considering the consequences, we can recognize God has placed desperation in our hearts so we will seek Him alone.

         Just as Abraham knew “they” would return from the altar of sacrifice, as parents we can be quite sure God has orchestrated our lives and those of our children to fully rely on Him!  May our desperation be satisfied in Christ as our only solution!

Wait on the Lord!

There are times in the life of a believer, when we face circumstances that are harsh, unfair, brutal, stretching, and... (fill in your adjective here.)  We can pray and fast and beg God to move mountains, but not hear or see any movement on the horizon. Our human nature, in order to free us from this discomfort, wants to rush in, take control, and find an immediate solution to ease the pain.

If we move in our flesh, like Abraham and Sarah did with Ishmael, there will be consequences that could be even more heinous than the original trial. "The flesh profits nothing, but CAN produce something," a pastor recently shared. 

1 Corinthians 3 talks about works, done in our own strength, being burned up like wood, hay and stubble.  The only works that remain are those done in accordance with His will. Wait on Him! His way is the good way. Wait on Him!

Sometimes His silence is Him working something out in us. While you are in His waiting room, ask Him to move the mountains in your heart, so you can be ready for the answer He is bringing your way.  Lay yourself at His altar and allow Him to do the deeper work. Remember that He is faithful, even when we are faithless. Wait on Him!