Hi, my name is “Ridiculous” and sometimes it’s “Crazy,” and I am a P.O.T. (Parent of Teen). My support group is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and other mothers. My only escape is prayer.
So I prayed, “God, give me children lest I die!” and He gave us children. Then, sometimes I want to die. And we parents do die, right? Every. Single. Day. For-the-rest-of-our-lives.
Yeah, this is where I live and I can’t move out because it’s a lifetime lease. How about you fellow P.O.T.s? (And yes, you MOPs and MOAs and ones in between those too.) Do you ever tell God, “Hey God, this was Your idea! You told me to be fruitful and multiply. So God, You have to help me! Help me help them—in Jesus’ name, amen. Please.”
I don’t drink, I don’t swear, and I don’t believe in happy pills, but there’ve been times I wished I did. I used to swear a lot, especially right before I became a Born Again Christian. But then I gave my heart to Jesus and I had no inkling to swear again—until my firstborn turned fifteen. Then I found myself going, “mmmmm…help me Jesus!” And there are three more after her!
What have I done? I helped create four eternal beings with an agenda of their own. What an enormous responsibility. I was talking to a friend the other day, and he gave the perfect illustration of parenting. He said, “Yeah, it’s like taking a piece of your heart and giving it to this little individual, and then they run off with it. And you’re saying, ‘Wait! Stop! Come back. No, I don’t want to go there!”
We do the same thing with God’s heart. God, the perfect parent, with perfect love, and nothing but pure intentions for us. Sorry Lord. Forgive me.
Sometimes, looking at our children is like looking in a mirror. They are the ultimate object lesson God uses to teach us about ourselves. Don’t you just hate/ love it when God says, “You do that to me.” Or when He says, “Maybe if you showed them how by example?” Ever look at your kid and say, “Where’d you get that attitude from?” Then you feel God looking at you and saying, “I wonder?” Often, it’s the change in us that God uses to change others.
So kids, how about you give us a break? Parents are human—we mess up, we fall short, just like you. We’re under God’s construction, too. Being a parent is hard, but you’re worth it.
But other times it’s not like looking in a mirror, because our children are unique individuals with a God-given free will. And yeah, I tell God all the time that free will is overrated.
“Mooomm! You’re such a mom,” they say. Yeah, guilty as charged.
Dear kids, we know you must make your own decisions, but we’ve been down a few wrong roads and want you to know you really don’t have to take the detours. Don’t you know we hurt when you hurt, and when you’re victorious, we’re victorious? And when we encourage you, it’s because we don’t just see the seed—we see the tree you can become. We are trying to nourish your growth, as is God. We’re on your side; we are not the enemy. And God never shortchanges, so don’t settle for anything less than all He has for you.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10 NKJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Actually, I think this is a setup. God made it this way, just in case we thought we could make it on our own. It’s as if He says, “Here you go! Ha-ha! Have a couple kids. You’ll come talk to me then!” He knows how to make us desperate. Just know this—God inclines His ear to a mother’s prayer. He loves our children even more than we do. And love never fails.
Lord, please help us as parents to live in such a way so our children see You in us. Draw them to choose You for themselves. Help our children to see and know how much we love them and guide them in Your truth, righteousness, love, and grace, in Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
Hey, Ariel, Anna, Abby, and Andrew, Guess How Much I Love You? I Love You the Purplest! I Love You Forever, and No Matter What, even when you are The Runaway Bunny. And you will always have a piece of my heart.
And happy birthday to my beloved Ariel! (My firstborn.)
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For the Prodigal's Mom Mama, Don’t you know Jesus loves your children Even more than you? Pound the gates of Heaven, Mama Pray without ceasing Know the God of Heaven inclines to your cry He shares your passion for restoration of the prodigal child So, go ahead and cry Mama But make every tear a prayer An offering of hope and heart Your prayers are the rain On the soil of your prodigal’s heart Your prayers are the rain On the soil of your prodigal’s heart Your prayers are the rain On the soil of your prodigal’s heart…
Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him. Psalms 126: 5-6 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11 (NKJV)
A must read for all! One of the most powerful essays I’ve ever read: Porch Swing Mother’s Day by adoptive parent, Becky Antkowiak on Focus on the Family’s website. (Congratulations, Becky! <3)
A NEW RELEASE FOR LADIES! Faith-Pump: A 40-Day Devotional Seven award-winning authors offer a dose of real sure to elicit belly laughs, tears, and some soul searching, while sharing their lives lived out in light of God's Word. Infused with scripture throughout, each chapter of this devotional includes engaging stories and lessons learned, followed by thought provoking questions and calls to action to encourage a closer walk with Jesus and bolster faith in God's love and faithful ever present help in the day-to-day.
So excited to be a contributor and to share the cover reveal of this upcoming release tomorrow on my social media! [*Updated here with new graphic bearing title 5/10/22.]
Grateful to Lucinda Secrest McDowell and Rachel Britton of reNew spiritual retreat for #writers and #speakers for this opportunity.
Resources
*I’ve recently updated my RESOURCES PAGE and am continuing to add a variety of inspiring resources to it. It includes books and other resources on faith, family, and more. Hope you’ll check it out!
Today (5/5/22) is the last day of #TeacherAppreciationWeek: From Focus on the Family: Celebrate National Teacher’s Day Every Day
From Focus on the Family: Articles, Videos & Resources for Families
To a Woman Hurting With Mother’s day Grief
Adventures in Odssey Audio Dramas: “An award-winning Christian audio drama series that bring biblical principles to life, through a balance of fun, faith and imagination. Created for ages 8-12 and enjoyed by the whole family.
Focus on the Family Radio Theatre - "Focus on the Family Radio Theatre is more than storytelling – and much more than a mere audiobook. It’s a cast of internationally acclaimed actors, performing award-winning audio dramas that are produced and mixed in dynamic cinema-quality sound design. Movies that play on the biggest screen of all… your imagination!" Classics Historical Biographies Original Stories
Magazines: Clubhuse (ages 8-12, Clubhouse Jr. (ages 3-7) and Brio (for teen girls)
Jam packed with a treasure trove of fun and engaging activities, award-winning author Julie Lavender's book, 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments Into Lasting Memories, is sure to help families connect as they learn and grow closer to their children, impart wisdom, and create life-long cherished memories with their families. Check out other encouraging videos like this one on Julie's Facebook page.
- No Record of Wrongs
Unforgiveness, like a dam, hinders the flow of God’s Spirit and leads to spiritual stagnancy. Sometimes it’s a struggle to forgive though, especially when the person who hurt us is unrepentant. - Missing from the Manger
Christmas 2017 In the year of our meager manger, a snowman made of sand, a lone shepherd, and two sheep showed up for the annual frenzied day-of-decoration at our home.—Sans Mary, Joseph, Jesus, or anyone else. - A Second Wind & Christmas Clementines
~Second Wind~ With Christmas days away and money scant for gifts, I determined to live up to my nickname, the Queen of Make-Do. - Bold & Vulnerable
Vulnerability doesn’t come easy for me. But God calls us to live boldly and open-faced. Love requires we truly give of ourselves. - When Can-do Won’t Do
“God,” I said, “why is this so hard lately?” Sweat beaded on my forehead and panic set in. I usually take several hours to write the questions to lead the live Bible-based discussion, but less than 90 minutes remained before the start, and I had yet to write one. I’d attempted to write them a … Continue reading “When Can-do Won’t Do” - The Hair and the Chicken
If you don’t lose all respect for me after watching this video, no worries, you’ll have another chance. Sometimes good things do come out of bad hair days.
A must read for all! One of the most powerful essays I’ve ever read. Share it with your church, at work, with your family: Porch Swing Mother’s Day by adoptive parent, Becky Antkowiak on Focus on the Family’s website. (Congratulations, Becky! <3)
Looking for answers in these turbulent times? Wondering what in the world is going on? I pulled these scriptures together last year for my post Peace in Pandemic and Pandemonium. Their truth cries ever louder. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MY FREE COMPILATION OF BIBLE VERSES TO ENCOURAGE AND EQUIP (INCLUDES SCRIPTURES ON THE LAST DAYS).
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association 24 hour Prayer Line: (888) 388-2683
© 2022 Rachael M Colby | Tattoo It On your Heart
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Tattoo It On Your Heart 
Rachael, I love your writing. This post had me nodding my head in agreement. I’ve often thought, “I act just like that, and I’m thankful for God’s forgiveness.
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Thank you, Jeannie. Blesed you find takeaway in my writing. Likewise. Yes, grateful for God’s grace and forgiveness.
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Your message is so on target! I kept nodding my head and saying, “Yeah, that’s me.” I think being a mom is the hardest job in the world, yet the greatest blessing. Thank you for sharing a smile and letting all moms know that we’re not alone.
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So glad my article resonated with you and brought a smile, Katherine. And amen. So glad we’re not alone. God bless you and your family, Katherine.
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Very good look at parenting.
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Thank you, Yvonne, and thanks for reading. Couldn’t do it without God’s help! God bless you..
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Rachel, you’ve expressed parenting with wit and wisdom. Love this!
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Thank you for your kind words, Annie. Praise God. Happy my article blessed you. Hope you make a habit of visiting here. Welcome!
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Rachael, Even though this is a Mother’s Day post, you can put dad’s in there too. We worry, complain, agonize, and pray for our kids as well, especially when they get in their late teen years and beyond. Thanks for posting this!
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You are welcome, Ben. I held on to it for quite some time. It’s really an evergreen post for parents of any age children.. Yes, even adult children. Praying it ministers to hearts. God bless you and your family, Ben.
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