Being a mom is hard. Being a parent is hard. Being a caregiver is hard. There is joy, much joy, but pain often times comes with that joy. I'm reminded this morning of childbirth. The labor pains are intense. As the glorious time of arrival approaches, the pain becomes almost unbearable. And then something absolutely amazing happens. That precious child is placed into your arms and immediately, the pain is forgotten, instead replaced with tears of joy and happiness at the new little wonder in your arms.
For others, labor is the waiting for an adoption, or perhaps taking in a child that desperately needs a home.
We're not told that this pain is just beginning. There's the pain that comes along with a sick child. The pain that comes along with a troubled child. We hurt when our children hurt. For some, there is the pain of losing a child and for others, there is the pain of trying to help their child grow.
And there is joy. There is the joy that comes with that first smile. The joy of their first word. The joy of their first steps. The joy of the first day of kindergarten and the joy when they graduate from high school. (I can't say joy with the first time they drive, because, well, that's just pure fear!) The joy of when your child becomes a parent themselves!
As young parents, we are on top of the world; feeling as though anything can be accomplished! And then one day, our child becomes sick, and we realize, just how helpless we really are. And we pray, oh how we pray!
As we gain a little more experience, we become stronger. We may not worry so much about a little fever or a funny rash, because we know that this too shall pass.
And then a more serious illness comes along. Or an accident happens. And the joy is replaced by the pain of not knowing. And we pray, oh, how we pray!
As these precious children grow, they will experience the hard knocks of what life has to bring them. And each time they do, we pray, oh, how we pray!
We're not warned of the countless nights and hours we will spend in prayer for this precious child. We're not warned of the growing pains of our own hearts as we continue to grow ourselves.
As parents, we'll realize that we're not as smart as we thought we were. We are not experienced as we'd like to think we are. We're really, not in control at all. Honestly, sometimes it feels as though life is completely out of control, but we pray, oh, how we pray!
And we desperately cling to our Father, trusting that He is in control. And we teach our children to pray, oh how we pray they will pray!
That is beautiful, Hope.