I chose this picture for today’s post because it was an extremely trying day and I failed miserably. It was hot, and my daughter wanted nothing to do with taking pictures with her brother. She made every attempt to drive me out of my mind. I’m very glad that day is over!
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a temper. I also have the tendency to lash out at my daughter when I’m frazzled or she has been trying my nerves all day. Afterwards, I feel horrible and hug her and ask her to forgive me, only to repeat the cycle the next day. Things get worse while JR is on a hitch and everything (kids, dogs, homework, housework, bills, etc.) falls on me. I don’t harbor any resentment toward JR for being able to get away from all of it because he is working very hard and is making it possible for me to stay at home with our kids.
I keep telling myself that I’ll try harder and will do better next time I feel my temper rising. And I do try, it just doesn’t work. So, I’ve decided to see what the Bible says about patience and parenting.
One of the first things I did was to buy Let. It. Go. by Karen Ehman. If you are a control freak momma/wife (I’ve got my hand raised on this one), this is the book for you. I’m a little more than halfway through it and I have learned so much. We can’t control everything and Karen Ehman gives biblical examples of why *gasp* we aren’t supposed to. Trust me. You’ll be amazed.
I also completed the five-day Unglued challenge by Lysa Terkeurst on the Bible App. (If you don’t have this app already, I strongly recommend it. You can download it to your iPhone, Kindle, or android phone.) It’s a short challenge, but it will really get you in the right mind frame.
Of course, I turned to the Bible to find verses that mention patience and parenting. Here is what I’ve found:
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. Proverbs 16:32
Slow to anger, huh? That is a big one for me.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12
When my patience is being tested, I need to pray for the strength to handle the situation with God’s patience. Let’s face it, it’s not our patience that gets us through. It’s leaning on His.
A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel. Proverbs 15:18
The more upset and hot-headed I become when dealing with my children, the worse the situation is going to get. I don’t want my children to mimic that type of behavior. I want my children to calm their quarrels, not stir them up.
There are many more verses that speak on patience, but these are the ones that spoke to me on a parenting level. What verses do you lean on in instances that need patience in parenting? Leave your comment below, send me a tweet, or comment on my Facebook page!
This is my personal struggle that I know many others are facing. Things aren’t going to change overnight, but I am committed to seeing change happen.
Education of an Oilfield Wife 