Stone Soup for Five: Weary from the battle? Hope for moms of prodigals.

Weary from the battle? Hope for moms of prodigals.

I was re-reading some of my older posts (almost a decade old!) about parenting and raising boys and came across one written when we were going through a particularly challenging time with our boys.  What stood out to me in re-reading the post is that it was a tough time, yet when we met regularly with one of our pastors we always walked out with a new glimmer of hope, refreshed, and ready to go into the battle yet again.  

But right now, almost ten years later, I still haven't seen those hopes realized.

(If you have a minute, pop over and read it here.)

My strong willed son isn't a missionary doing amazing things for Christ.  He isn't even walking with Christ... and there's a small part of me that is always tempted to look back on that time with bitterness.  With "See God, it didn't work! All that time meeting, praying, teaching... for what?"

BUT

There's a bigger part that knows that as long as I have breath, I will pray prayers of hope for my son--all my sons.  

As long as we have breath, God is still working on each of us.  

My job isn't to fix any of them, or make any of them Christian (like I could even do that... but believe me, I often acted as if I could, as if their eternal fate was on my weak shoulders... praise God that is His job alone and it's not my job to carry that weight). 

 My job is to faithfully follow Christ down whatever path He has for me.  

This is a spiritual battle.  We must keep our eyes on the One who has already won the battle and fight against the real enemy, satan.

These pages in my prayer binder have become very precious to me as I continue to learn how to fight, wait, and pray well.






How do I follow Christ faithfully down this path He has for me as a mom of a prodigal?  For me, right now?
  • Pray (speak to God about the situation more than I lecture/share a great verse/have them read or listen to this great thing dealing with what I perceive to be their sin)
  • Love them (for me right now that looks like involving them when it would be easier to distance myself from them)
  • Take my thoughts captive (when I'm tempted to get frustrated, irritated, mad, to take those thoughts captive and think loving, hopeful, merciful thoughts)
  • Remember my own sin (and be as merciful and tender as God is to me)
  • Forgive  (as I have been forgiven... over and over and over)
  • Give thanks that I get to do this (consider it pure joy...)

If your walking through similar circumstances (and want more of those "wacked with a 2x4 alongside the head" moments I learned through) here are some more posts from that same time in my life and some lessons learned (and still learning):

https://www.stonesoupforfive.com/2012/04/doing-gods-job-for-him.html

https://www.stonesoupforfive.com/2012/02/one-thing-you-dont-want-to-do-is.html

5 comments:

  1. This is a hard walk to walk. But we can do it with grace. You are an awesome example for those of us who deal with this problem. God's time is not our time. PATIENCE is the hardest virtue to maintain for me, but it is part of having faith. Thank you for sharing with us.

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  2. Thank you for this. I am in a rough place right now with my teenage daughter. A great reminder to pray without ceasing and remember God is in control.

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  3. Kari I cannot express how much this has encouraged me! Thank you so much!

    Debbie

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  4. Thank you for this! Your words help me gain perspective and calm.

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  5. THANK YOU so much for this! My 20 year daughter who is away at university recently told me that she knows we care and raised her well and that we have a good relationship, but, she wants to live life her way - as long as she is happy that's what matters (she wants to pursue a relationship she knows is not the best for her). This post is so timely and needed right now. THANKS FOR CARING TO SHARE! Please pray for us and other families. I will do the same.

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