Lately, some of that ignorance has been tested:
- I had to read a book for work that was about parenting older children, and the line "The bigger the kids, the bigger the issues" burned itself into my brain.
- I've bumped into several examples (real and fictional) of grown sons who are not very close to their mothers.
- I've been walking with friends through an issue that scares the bejeezus out of me, but it doesn't really apply to the prepubescent crowd.
Meanwhile, my newborn is a saint. Sleeping through the night, happy during the day, growing like a weed. He could not be a better ambassador for the baby years.
Not that I needed the reminder. I've always known these pre-school years are more labor-intensive but also more sheltered, carrying less risk. I've still got the chicks in the nest. Mistakes--both mine and theirs'--tend to be smaller and easier to rectify.
But now that's really hitting home. Many of my oldest's friends started kindergarten this year. I can see the baby phase being eclipsed by The Next Phase: The School Years. And now, it scares me.
Which is really what this is all about. Fear. Taking my eyes off the God I know, the God who is good and sovereign. Who holds us in his hand. I knock Peter for taking his eyes off Christ. Then I do it.
A dear friend sent me this verse this morning:
"Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live," declares the Lord, "you will wear them as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride." -- Isaiah 49:18It sits in the middle of chapters that describe God's sovereignty and comfort -- how he is protecting His people and providing for them through His Son. I need this verse. I need this Son. And I need to remember that needing Him more over time is ultimately a good thing.
For further reading: Parenting is Hard for a Reason by Christina Fox
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