The Revelation of the Grumpy Parent

What do Garth Brooks and tired Mama's have in common? Well, they...

…Ain’t goin’ down till the sun comes up!

I was rocking out to this old country tune on the way home tonight. It brought back so many memories of shenanigans that kept me out until dawn in my younger years. Yep. Them was good times, “back in the day”.

Rocking out to this song made me laugh at the irony that I am still up until dawn. Only now it is due to a couple of shorties with ear infections, fevers, and night terrors. My, how times have changed!

Shorties really change your world, you know it? When they first arrive, the sheer miracle of them puts you in a state of awe. The greatness of your love for them inspires you to see the greatness of God’s love for us, His children, in a whole new light. This experience alone can really give your faith life renewed energy. But it is nothing compared to the jolt of electricity your soul will get from a self-examined round of grumpy parenting.

As the shorties get older, the sheer exhaustion of taking care of them can, frankly, put you in a “state”. Let’s be honest, who among us has not had those “moments” before? I’m talking about those times when your sweet offspring learn to push buttons you never even knew you had.  I’m talking about those nights when you were abruptly roused out of a sound sleep and you were less than cheerful at the sound of their angelic voice calling to you for the second…or third time…that night.

Those are the moments in which I realize God’s love most deeply. It is in the moments of my imperfection, the moments when I am less than the parent I wish to be, the moments wherein I realize the limits of my broken and sinful human spirit that I feel I see God’s love most fully revealed.

In the limitations of my patience and grace, I see the abundance of His.

May we always enjoy rocking out to the changing music of our lives and may our lives be ever filled with revelations of God's abundance, deepening our understanding of His love and compassion.

Alleluia. Amen!