I can remember several years ago, and our family took a trip out west. This was back before any of my big guys were even teenagers.
As we drove through parts of Wyoming, we would go for many, many miles without seeing any house or gas station. It was a little unsettling, realizing that it would be terrible to have car trouble in one of these spots.
But while we drove, I kept spotting these little cave “holes” or caverns in the sides of the many hills and mountains. The small caves seemed to be everywhere! My eyes searched out for them as we drove.
I still remember telling my husband, “We could just move out here now, in the middle of nowhere, while the boys are still young, and we could avoid all the ways the world is going to try to pull at them and drag them down in the years that are coming.”
Saying that to him, I was honestly half kidding and half-serious.
At that time, I knew, deep down, that the years where my influence would slowly be less and less were already happening.
I imagined all the ways the “world” (back in the ’90s when I was a teen) had pulled me away from my family and values. Those were years I have always wished I could go back and change.
Well, I could not re-do those. And I could not dread raising these beautiful humans of mine in a not-always beautiful world.
And time would show that we never moved into one of those caves, not even out west.
We stayed where we were, and I made it my mission to do these best I could with God’s help.
Yeah, every single day, Facebook’s flashbacks to old posts remind me how much my kids have changed.
I get teary eyed every time one of those pop up on my screen.
One thing that hasn’t really changed is that I’m still me.
Yep, I’m still me.
I never evolved into a totally new mom-creature that had all the answers at just the right moment.
I never gained all the knowledge I would need to face every single obstacle that life through at our family.
I never got my prayer answered that God would add 8 more hours of daylight into every day so I could get done all that needed to be done.
Life had complications I never knew I’d go through—big stuff.
Small stuff.
I’m still me: Stacey.
I’m sure I changed some…
I’ve grown up. I have gotten wiser (not with everything yet, but…yeah, some).
And there’s still so much to do…and to be. It is overwhelming.
I’ve lost count of the days where I thought I might give up.
Being a mom, a wife, and a million other things for everyone–it’s just life.
Was I the only woman who just couldn’t do it all??!!!
And on top of being busy and drained and exhausted, I’ve got to try to raise my kids in better ways than just going to church?
Is being me not enough?
Won’t they just be like me when they are older, at least eventually???!
It worked for my parents.
They weren’t perfect, but none of us are.
And I don’t even know if I could get the kids to talk to me about deep stuff.
What if they ask me questions I don’t know how to answer.
What if they ask me about my past?
When do I fit all that in?
Yeah, all these questions were thoughts that ran through my head a lot as I felt the call from God to take my parenting up a few levels.
These doubts tied me up for years. YEARS!
It seemed impossible!
On.
So.
Many.
Levels.
I’m here to tell you that it’s a lie that you are too busy to share your Christian faith with your kids.
And it’s a lie that your kids would rather talk to someone else.
Those are all lies straight from Satan himself.
And you aren’t alone if you believe them.
I know I have. It’s something I battle every day.
Someone once told me that nothing worth doing was ever easy.
Will sharing your faith be easy?
Well, from my experience, sometimes yes and sometimes no. Sometimes it is finding the right words, and God will help you through that.
You’ll also need to get yourself in God’s Word every day and commit to praying more.
Just spending a little extra time with your child to start will repair hurt wounds both of you have with your relationship.
I’ll also add that reading up on topics going in the culture today that your kids face will help you immensely!
All that, covered with grace from God and small miracles you’ll see in the seeds you plant from those efforts, will be how you can pass on your faith even when busy!
Here on my blog and in the courses I give, I stand with you in making these new habits. I give you small practical ideas that help you gain the confidence to keep moving along on the journey God has for you.
There are so many blessings that come with being in the middle of God’s plan! Are you ready to start?
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