It is not fair to ask of others what you are not willing to do yourself. Eleanor Roosevelt
Meditation: Raising children, and especially teenagers who begin to challenge us parents, is one of the most growth producing journeys. Our children watch our every step. And our teenagers comment on our every behavior. It is humbling when they identify discrepancies between what we say and what we do. As our children mature, we as parents go through a second maturation phase as well. And we need to become more mature than our teens, especially when the conversations get intense. We need to decisively leave without reacting, when their tone becomes offensive. We need to stay calm and call them on it, when they raise their voice. We need to set clear boundaries without becoming retaliatory. It is the challenge of a second maturity cycle to actually role model and not only talk…
Prayer: God, give me the humility to see my own need as a parent to mature even further, as my children go through their process of growing and maturing. Give me your Spirit of discernment, patience, non-reactivity and hope. Give me wisdom to distinguish between what matters and what does not matter in the grand scheme of things. Help me to assert my authority not through loud voice, power demonstrations or oppression, but by example of intentionality, discipline, authenticity and congruency of word and deed. God, be the sane presence of grace in our home when we, adults and teens, are going through crazily intense growth spurts – all at the same time. Amen
“Do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.” 1. Corinthians 14:20
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