WIPING THE MUD OFF

We have been in the muck and mire of parenting the last couple of days. Mother's Day 2011 brought on the MC 1 meltdown of 2011. Emotions ran high, words became ugly, and tears flowed freely and that was just from him. At the time I was flying solo, so we crash landed into a mandated nap.
Over the last couple of years we have made some big changes that directly impacted him. He changed schools. Mom quit her job, limiting his funds. We have changed churches twice. After talking with him this week, I think a big part of him feels unsettled. Throw in state mandated testing, the prospect of summer school, developmental changes (with the hormones to go with it) and you have the tender ripe for burning, and burn it did. The flame it appears to most fan is that of rebellion. Over and over again it was "you won't let me do what I want to do." Submission to parental authority waging a full scale attack on his fleshly desire.
I get it. We have made changes in his life he had no control over. We have made decisions, for his good, without letting him in on the decision making process. In an attempt to gain control, MC 1 is assuming that some privileges are his rights. I know. I have been there. I have done the same thing before the Lord God. Things have happened that I had no control over. Things, that even though they were for my good, were hard to adjust to. I have rebelled when I felt out of control. I have claimed privileges as rights. Like MC 1, I have been corrected. Tears flowed, emotions sky rocketed, and words were harsh...and that was from me. But just like HH and I with MC 1, the Father lovingly says to you and I,

I am here to help you.
I am for you.
I love you.

Rebellion can masquerade itself. It can as blatant as walking away from the whole thing or as subtle as grabbing that next piece of brownie. My lack of trust causes me to want to control things and do it my way. Any thing. My food. My money. My time. My attitude.
MC 1 has to know, and at times be reminded, HH and I are for his good. We support him. We encourage him. We also set boundaries for him. We correct him. We discipline him when we need to. We remind him who has the final say. Above all, we love him.
If you are in Christ, our Father does the same thing. Our best parenting is only a shadow of the parenting He provides for us. Our most sincere, most loving intentions towards our kids are just mere scratches on the surface of God's love for us.
We... I, like MC 1, have to believe that. We have to believe He is for our good. Not that we get our way, but that in doing it His way, He gets the glory. Above all we have to believe He loves us. Many days we have to choose those. The world and the prince of it will whisper lies to you otherwise.
No one wants to be your friend.
No one ever talks to you.
No one ever asks you to come over and play.
In talking through these same phrases with MC 1, we were able to pull the truth out from amongst the thorns of the lies that were trying to hold him down. You and I can do the same. It takes time.
It takes work.
It takes helpers.
Ultimately, though, it is our choice.
Our choice to believe.
Our choice to accept.
Our choice to submit.
In Christ or out, you have to know He loves you. He desires to parent you. Not as earthly parents do, good or bad, but as a the perfect Father He is. There is no evil in Him. There is nothing but love. Tough love at times, but perfect love always.

Choose to be His child.

Choose to come back.

Choose to be adopted.

He has already chosen you.

Let Jesus wipe the mud of this world off.

Let Him sanctify you with His words.

Just as MC 1 cried, let the tears fall before Jesus, and let Him use them to clear your vision as to who you are in Him.

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.

John 17:17 (NKJV)