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being the perfect parent, getting over bad parents, getting over your past, Heavenly Father, homeschooling encouragement, making perfect parenting decisions, no parent is perfect, no perfect parents, our faithful father, parenting perfectly, parenting tips, raising kids, regrets of parenting, the truth about parenting, what to do when you realize you can't be perfect at parenting, when you mess up your kids
Lesson Two – No parent is perfect.
This lesson has been especially hard for me over the last few months. As my youngest son (now 16) has been asked to give his testimony at times, his story has included how my husband’s and I’s choices have affected him through the years. I love his transparency, but OUCH! …sometimes it’s painful to hear what your child has had to “get over” because of choices we’ve made as parents.
I confess, when we started to homeschool our children, I thought we would be so close as a family that a lot of issues would naturally disappear. Some issues did disappear, but the truth is, others took their place.
After I heard my youngest son’s testimony a few months ago, I went through a time where I rethought every parenting decision we had ever made. But, as I continued to lay my “freak out” at the feet of Jesus, He reminded me that even if we had made different decisions, we still would not be perfect parents. Only our Heavenly Father is perfect. If we had made different decisions, our children would just have something else to “get over”.
I love who my children are becoming. They are thoughtful, insightful, wise, opinionated leaders who will ask questions until they get answers. They are amazing, but that’s not because every parental decision we made was perfect. It’s because our faithful Father continues to mold them into who He wants them to be, not what I imagined for their futures.
They have their own story with God. It’s different than mine. It’s different than anyone else’s on this entire planet and I’ve had to learn that their story includes “getting over” decisions that their parents made…that I made.
Lesson two has been hard for me to accept, but so freeing. My husband and I will continue to pray over every parental decision we make regarding our children and pray for them as individuals as they find their own paths, but every decision we make will not be perfect. Decisions we make with careful prayer and consideration today may just be the decisions they have to “get over” tomorrow.
I’m learning (as humbling as this is) that God will use the imperfections of my children’s parents to mold and teach them in ways only He can. I’m learning that just as I’ve needed to cling to Romans 8:28 throughout my own life, they will need to cling to it as well. They will come through “getting over” decisions that their imperfect parents made knowing “…that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.”
Lesson two – No parent is perfect.
A Seeking Heart 