Proverbs 16:9 - The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps.
The above verse was shared by a dear friend of mine completely unrelated to this post but it hit me like a ton of bricks straight from God himself.
I read an article early today, which was very good, but has had me wrestling and struggling all day. I can't even make sense of it all so I figured my best bet was to try to write. So I'll start back a bit...when I found out I was having a 2nd boy (7 years ago now!) all I could think of was the great advantages of this...
...he and his brother would be best friends
...they would play sports together
...they would do, well everything, together
...I could use all the same clothes, baby items, etc.
...the whole "how IT works" talk could come from Andy since ya know...mom is a girl
...I wouldn't have to pay for a homecoming, prom or wedding dress :)
...I would get the joy of teaching them the right way to treat a girl
The list goes on and on and all of these have filled me with joy and I love being a "boy mom" to my two little guys who are completely amazing! But then comes the struggle. There's this epidemic, which is not new or foreign to me, but is definitely causing me to think and process. It's porn. I don't type that lightly either. It's plaguing me actually. There are so many articles out there of the dangers and addictions of porn and how do I balance that with raising Godly men? Society screams on one side to let kids be kids and not be bothered with things such as this; while the other side warns about how kids (ages 8-10 mind you) have already been exposed to porn. I am not a naive mom and know that this is the reality of the world we live in. However - how do I balance this??? Do Andy and I discuss this with them in an effort to protect them and warn them of the dangers? What happens if they've never heard of this and our talking to them opens the door of curiosity? What if we don't and a friend introduces them to it before we have a chance to properly explain it? Moms - I am sure you are with me and these ramblings of questions. Now breathe...
Deep breath....all day I have had to tell myself to slow down and breathe. And then God in his amazing way put Proverbs 16:9 in front of me. I can and will struggle with all these questions. I can constantly second guess what my husband and I are/aren't telling our kids. I have and will make mistakes in parenting. But all that to say no matter what plans we make, the Lord is the one who is directing each step for my boys and I trust this. I am a mom and it's natural for me to want to keep my children from harm, but God loudly reminded me that I cannot save them from the sin of this world. Jesus Christ is the only one who saves and I know my boys know Him personally as their Savior. I trust Christ completely with their lives and I remind myself daily that He loves them even more than I do. He directs the path and every step and He speaks truth and peace into our lives as parents. I will have more days like today where I question everything I am doing, but on those days God's truth will continue to speak loudly in my life.
If you are a mom, dad, grandparent, teacher or anyone else who is caring for children - the struggle is real and you know this all too well. Know I am praying for you and I ask you pray for Andy and I. We will struggle together but I'll end with this encouragement...
John 16:33 - I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
