We had company over the other night and my son behaved so badly that after they left I literally leaned against my husband and cried.
I thought to myself, “What am I doing wrong?”
All the other kids his age seemed to be mild mannered and he is constantly pushing the limits until emotions spill over and both he and I feel like we are spent.
A dear friend said these words to me as tears ran down my cheeks and I feel like I might be holding on to them for a very long time:
“I know the Lord gave him his strong will for a reason and I can’t wait to see what for.”
After pondering those words, I truly saw my son in a different light and I am sharing it with you now because I know I am not the only mother out there to a spirited child.
That night, my husband and I sat for a long time and talked about all these things and we realized that while these days right now may be really trying and emotionally draining, it is our job to help him mold this strong will that he was given.
The Lord made him strong willed, indeed! And what a gift! I know in the future my son will need this personality trait to be who he was made to be; to change lives, to change the world. What more could I ask for in a child?
What a gift.
Now, the challenge is us making it through this stage of growing up and becoming the man that the Lord is shaping him into. As his mother, I know that it is my job to give him my best, every single day and to love him for who he is… not to compare him against all the other children he plays with.
Comparison really is a thief. I know many people talk about this in relation to happiness, but it can steal in so many ways. When I compare my son to other children that are calmer than he is, I subconsciously find myself wishing that he was somehow more like them; I’m not treasuring him for who he is and how the Lord made him.
I’m robbing myself of that joy.
I now see a little boy that is going to push all my buttons, test every limit, throw tantrums and fits. BUT he is wonderfully and beautifully made in the image of God; created for a purpose. I, as his mother, get to guide and direct him every single day and every morning that my eyes open and I get to see his smiling face, I know I have been given the most precious gift I could ever have.
Coast x Coast Motherhood 