Teaching Tuesday / #This Is Parenting. . . Sometimes

On this Mother's Day week, you may be wondering why in the world I could declare with yesterday's blog that Motherhood was "the highest calling", and today post something like this? Well, let me explain.

According to statistics, in 2018, there was an estimated 728,280 juvenile arrests in the United States. Hypothetically, let's just say that half of those children didn't have a caring mom, grandma, or mother-figure in their lives. That still leaves over 350,000 hurting mamas! When you add to that number of arrests, the juveniles involved with the law, but still at home with heart-broken (and sometimes extremely frightened) parents, the number of hurting mamas soar. So many of these parents are frantically searching for some way to help their beloved child stay safe, while desperately trying to maintain the safety of all the other family members involved. These situations and so many others with similar stories make the number of heart-broken mamas across this nation rise to almost unbelievable heights. I am one of those mamas! And if you are one of those mamas, too, . . . this blog is for you!

I just want to bless and encourage you! If you have loved your child and did everything in your power to raise them up to be responsible young men and women, their bad choices are not your fault. Have you made mistakes? Sure, we all have. Do you have regrets? More than I can count. But dear friend, the bottom line is that God will not take away His gift of our free will, nor your child's, and you can not either (regardless of how desperately bad we want to as parents longing to protect them from themselves). Each of us, including our children, are responsible for our own choices. Unfortunately, the consequences of some of those choices have far-reaching effects and pain.

I share your grief! I share your pain! Our dear Daddy God does, too! He has not forgotten you or your precious child who has chosen a wrong path. He has seen your every tear and heard your every prayer! He is for YOU, not against you! Do NOT listen to the lies of the enemy, saying that you are a failure! Dear SWEET MAMA, YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE! You LOVE! How do I know that? Because you HURT, and if you didn't love there would be no hurt. Even through all the worry, grief, anger, embarrassment, and frustration, your precious mothering heart is broken, and YOU STILL LOVE! You still hope! LOVE ALWAYS WINS, just look at JESUS!

Another thing I want to encourage you in is this. Don't you dare listen to the sanctimonious, judgemental comments of others who don't have a clue what they are talking about and have not walked through the nightmare that you are in! It's real easy to be on the outside and look at another and say, "Well, if only they did this or that, they wouldn't have this problem in the first place." I am ashamed to say that I used to be one of those know-it-alls, who knew NOTHING! ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! All I can do now is ask for Father's forgiveness for I truly didn't know what I was doing. There was a saying when I was little girl that I heard a lot but didn't really understand until wisdom came with age. It went like this:

"Before you abuse, criticize, or misuse, WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES!"

Well, now that I've walked a mile in some of those shoes, I've learned it's best to keep my judgments and especially my comments to myself! Listen to me you broken-hearted, loving mamas, if the enemy is using others to tear you down with the his lies, distance yourself from those people now. You have enough grief without staying in the proximity of that abuse!

I'd just like to pray for you right now. I can't make your pain go away, nor your prodigal come back home, but I serve an Awesome God who can:

Oh, Dear Sweet JESUS, my heart hurts, and I know Yours does too. I hurt for all the broken-hearted, hurting mamas out there who held those precious bundles of joy so gently yet so tightly to their bosoms never dreaming that the intensity of the love they felt would be polar-opposite to the excruciating pain they feel now! Nor were these loving adoptive mamas, like myself, aware that as our hearts that exploded with a love far greater than our own hearts had the capacity to feel, would now be so shattered and in shreds. But YOU KNEW, and You let us love anyway. You not only let us, but you compelled us to love when we truly did not feel like we had anything left to give.

You have taught me that a Mother's heart, these mother's hearts, are the most like Yours, because we love self-sacrificially just like You. So this Mother's Day, I have a very special prayer request. For every broken-hearted, hurting mother that reads these words, may Your Peace and Your Joy flood their weary souls. Lord, may they feel the refreshing of Your Holy Spirit touching those wounded places that only Jesus' Blood can heal. I command the spirit of grief and hopelessness to leave them now in Jesus' name!

And Father, Your Word says that where two agree that we have what we ask for, so I agree with every mother reading this that our children are coming home to You! Regardless of their situations. Regardless of their circumstances! We send Your Angel Armies to go rescue our children! Holy Spirit get them! Minister to them right where they are in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ! And all of you God-loving mamas, say AMEN!

Now, you go in peace sweet mama! Your Daddy God has got this!

P.S. If you know of any hurting mama out there, please bless her by sharing this! We all need to know we are not alone! Thanks!

#ThisIsParentingSometimes #PrayingMamas #TeachingTuesdays #YourAreNotAlone