Parenting Is Not All Up to You

Parenting is hard. That’s not news to us. As moms, we live and breathe the daily challenges of raising little people who grow up too fast into big people who we just hope and pray will turn out okay. And that process, that end result—the goal of producing “good kids”—can easily seem like an overwhelming responsibility. We moms often feel like it’s all up to us.

In many ways, it is all up to us. I mean, we’re the ones feeding these people breakfast and helping with homework and teaching them all the reasons they shouldn’t do drugs. A mother’s involvement in her children’s life is critical to their development.

But maybe not in the way we think.

When my first baby was born, I struggled to produce enough milk to feed her, and after the first week the lactation nurses basically told me I was starving my child. You know you’re in bad shape when the breastfeeding consultant says, “Sweetie, there’s a reason God made formula.”

And I was devastated. Here I was, a week into motherhood, a hormonal mess, and I was slapped with my first big mom fail. I couldn’t feed my child the way I wanted to feed my child. And I felt worthless.

But then I got a notecard in the mail from one of my dear mentor moms. And she wrote, “God determines who your child will become. Not your breast milk.”

Now, I’m not here to start a war about nursing vs. formula—that’s not my point. What I do want you to understand is this:

God is ultimately in charge of our children. Not us.

Yes, the decisions we make today will affect our kids tomorrow. We are called to care for them as best we can, and it’s a big responsibility and honor. But ultimately God determines who our children will become. That means we GET to—not have to, we GET to—work alongside Him in that adventure.

Parenting is not about your performance. It’s about God’s providence.

And that truth should make us want to get up again tomorrow and do this parenting thing WITH our heavenly Father, knowing He is really the one in charge, and He is guiding us—the moms—just as He guides our children.

One of my favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 40:11, says:

“He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)

Isn’t that a beautiful picture? God is GENTLY leading us, the moms, the ones with youngsters to care for, whether those youngsters are toddlers or teens. He GENTLY leads us through the journey of parenting.

God is the Shepherd, He is in charge. And we as moms get the tremendous privilege of being part of God’s plan for our children’s lives.

Be encouraged, sweet mom friends. You are upheld by the power and love of the Perfect Parent. That’s HIS job, not yours!

Blessings,
Becky Kopitzke
beckykopitzke.com