Not Always a Cake Walk

By Hally Franz –

I love Italian Cream Cake. I’ve not made it myself, but Mom still bakes one for me occasionally. I hear it’s not difficult, but involves a lot of steps. I could do it, if I were to take my time and follow the directions exactly. My finished product would likely be just fine.

Some might see parenting in this same light.

My husband’s 4-H aerospace project group is planning to build model airplanes. I am sure they will do quite well with their projects provided they exercise care and diligence. I don’t believe any advanced training is required for that.

Perhaps, parenting is a bit like building a model.

It’s science fair time at my children’s school. They’ve done background research to help understand the experiments they are conducting, and to develop hypotheses based on the research. They anticipate a certain outcome, but only time will tell what the results will be.

Could this be a parenting analogy?

The fact is that we parents want to believe that a simple (or complicated) set of instructions can guide us through the rearing of a happy, successful and Godly child. We bank on the fact that some basic study may be required to prepare for parenthood, but no advanced degrees are required. We optimistically set about the parenting experience anticipating the desired results, feeling confident that things will go as planned.

That isn’t always the truth, though. In most cases, great parents raise great adults. Most of the time, the hours of toil and worry, the tears, the time, the energy and the prayers all pay off. But, just as there are resilient children who become wonderful adults even when they’ve had hard and dysfunctional childhoods, there are kids who seem not to thrive, even under the best circumstances. In both my professional and personal experience, I have known the best of parents who have had much heartache and discouragement along their parenting journeys. It is important to recognize that not all parents are challenged equally.

It’s easy to become arrogant about parenting if we find our offspring have matured into contented Christian adults. Some children, young or old, may spend their entire lives in search of peace. Like the Prodigal Son and King Nebuchadnezzar, some of our children must learn lessons the hard way. In any case, those child challenges are loved as much as the low-maintenance ones.

And, blessed be those resilient parents.

PRAYER: Merciful Father of us all, please give Christian parents encouragement and hope when we face challenges in child-rearing. As You have loved those who are slow to learn, help us to love our children unconditionally, to have patience, and to gain peace throughout the process, even when there is heartache and disappointment.

“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. So they began to celebrate.” (Luke 15:24 NIV).