I had it upside down. I wanted the best childhood for my kids and felt like a failure when I couldn’t deliver.
Not enough money to do what the others were doing.
No time to do anything extra like sports, swim lessons or trips.
Tears of frustration at the table instead of the nurturing mom I wanted to be.
Vacations an impossibility, holidays an afterthought.
“Can’t we have just one normal holiday?” I cried in the hospital room.
We’ve had hard times (still do) but overall? Kids don’t need a problem-free childhood.
They need love. They need to see love persevere through difficulty.
They need faithfulness. That when you feel like you can’t face another day, you do.
They see you asking God for strength.
They need more than polished parents. They see your tears and grit and the grace that fills the space between your weakness and what you’re called to.
They need more than vacations (even though I LOVE them when/if we can!). Delight has no price tag and joy cannot be bought. They mostly need parents who are happy to be with them.
They need your attention more than the recognition that comes from any award. They simply need to be important to you. And they get it when you have to put everything in second gear when the next medical crisis comes. They learn it from you.
They learn sacrifice. That the greatest things in life often can’t be gotten, only given.
They learn all these things in a home of love. You might be feeling like your home offers nothing of what you hoped for. But remember, God’s grace can transform these places. It takes a sacrificial uncomfortable childhood and grows good things.
This post originally appeared on Kara Dedert Blog
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