Float God’s Boat
** Are you a mom of teens? Share what God is teaching you: http://talk.thelife.com/
Pharaoh’s ruling was final. His order to kill all Israelite baby boys was swift and deadly. Mothers must have gone crazy, clinging to their sons in anguish and despair. One Levite woman, desperate to save her child, bundled him into a basket woven of papyrus and laid him among the reeds along the bank of the Nile while his sister, Miriam, watched from a distance. Pharaoh’s daughter spotted the baby, and with the assistance of Miriam, arranged for a Hebrew woman, who just happened to be the baby’s mother, to nurse him. When the child grew older, his mother took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son (Exodus 2:1-10).
Try to fathom the range of emotions this mom must have felt as she snuggled her three-month-old son into the basket. Would someone have pity on her child or would he be slaughtered? Would she see him again? The rollercoaster of emotions continued when she was reunited with her son, only to place her flesh and blood into the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter, months later.
Perhaps you’re riding a similar Ferris wheel of feelings. Over the years, you’ve relished your role as “grizzly bear mama,??? taking on the schoolyard bully, single-handedly stopping traffic to catch stray balls, or answering countless questions. Being needed can be very satisfying. But now, thanks to adolescence, your relationship has taken a back seat to his quest for independence – friends, a part time job or social commitments are top priority. The grizzly bear mama has been de-clawed.
Let’s face it: some teenagers aren’t thrilled to be included in the family picture. So how do we parent a semi-independent, young person who is approaching adulthood? Help them build a boat woven with God’s wisdom:
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure, then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere??? (James 3:17). The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22).
Manifest these qualities when interacting with your teen; weave them into your relationship. Utilize them at the dinner table, while driving, or during family devotions – whenever you can seize the moment (Deuteronomy 6:7).
At first glance, these traits may seem too sugar-coated to enhance your relationship, but remember God, our Creator, knows what makes us tick. Think of these traits as God’s tools for improvement.
Use these tools to help your teen build a boat anchored in God’s wisdom. Secured in God’s principles, your teen will sail the high seas into adulthood and confidently weather life’s turbulent waters.
That should be enough to satisfy any grizzly bear mama.
About the Author
This devotional was written by Charlene Friesen. Read more about Charlene: http://www.talk.thelife.com/charlene-friesen/
Questions
1. How do you relate to the picture of a “grizzly bear mama?”
2. How can we weave a boat of faith to help the children in our lives navigate the river of life?
3. Let’s spend some time praying for the children in our lives, that whey will grow in wisdom.
Comment
Post your comments on the devotional blog: http://talk.thelife.com/
Chat about this devotional today at 10:30 am Eastern: http://www.christianwomentoday.com/chat/minidevos.html
Related Articles
Our collection of articles on parenting teens
http://www.christianwomentoday.com/parenting_teenagers/
Copyright
This devotional is protected by copyright laws and may not be reprinted or posted to a site without permission from TruthMedia Internet Group. All readers are welcome to forward the devotional to a friend or link to it. If you would like to seek permission to reprint the devotional in full, please contact us:
http://www.truthmedia.com/contact/index.html
I do not have a teen quite yet and I am in no hurry to get there. But my son has just turned 8. And he is at the age now where he is becoming more and more independent and I am not “as cool” anymore. Oh, it makes me sad :-).
But our children are mirror images of us! So, a good spirit filled role model is what they need. As well,they need to see mom and dad who loving each other unconditionally. I think if the foundation of the home is not stable, our children will be totally off balance!
Being a mom is no easy task, but it is such a blessing. And I think that praying for the years that lie ahead is so important!
Good luck with all you moms who have teens, and God Bless!
I have three sons ages 20, 17 and 16. As with all children a parent experiences highs and lows, thinking your children are geniouses to thinking, “what planet did you come from?” I have cried for my children, prayed for them, and agonized because of the choices and paths they chose. The thing God is teaching me over the last three years is to love my children and the girl’s they are dating unconditionally, to trust in God and let go. I know I have done my best and that God will work out His will for their lives. Children are such a precious gift from God and we need to enjoy them and be thankful to God for each stage they go through because as they grow and learn and change, so do we.
Well my children are young adults, but as they are only in their 20′s, the teen years aren’t that far behind! I can identify with the Grizzly Bear Mama as I was definitely one of those! But I had awesome role models to show me how to become a mother of adults….it means showing them the way when they are young, modelling the fruit of the Spirit, not allowing words of anger to damage our relationships, and choosing which mountain to die on! That’s an expression someone shared that really helped…is this worth making a huge issue of, or in light of eternity, will it matter. With that as my guide, we could keep the main things the main things, those things in a child’s life, their character, their integrity and their walk with God in light of living for eternity. Things like hair styles(or no hair in the case of our son who shaved his head more than once) and messy rooms really didn’t matter when I thought about it that way!
For those of you parenting teens today, be encouraged! The best is yet to come! As a mother of three adults who are all married to wonderful christian spouses, I can honestly say that we are loving these years! We are friends who enjoy life together and pray for oneanother…what a blessing that is!
Oh, Stacy, your friend is RIGHT ON!! In fact that’s exactly what I came in here to say. Mine are all grown with families of their own, now, but we’ve talked already about “start now”. I was accused more than once of being an old she-bear when my kids were little. Even back then I felt I had to intercede (or maybe “rediredt” is better) for the Christian Way against what they picked up at school and sometimes even at extended family gatherings. The kids were always amazed to find that other mothers at our church had a lot of the same rules and regulations … ideals and standards as I did. Proverbs is a “very present help in times of trouble” but if you don’t buy insurance BEFORE you have the accident, it’s no good. I don’t have a problem with a mom going out to work but the most important thing you’ll EVER do is prepare your child for the adult Christian walk. Can you really expect someone else to do that FOR you (and your child)? Have a blessed day everyone.
After being a teenager, one of the volatile seasons of life has to be being the mother of one!
My own kids are little, but a friend who has teenagers has been telling me the time to prepare is now! I’m filing some of her tips and stories for later use. One example: When one of her daughters was “grounded”, another component of the consequence was that the teen had to spend a certain amount of time with each parent each day. This was so they could pour truth and love into her life and affirm the relationship. When disappointed in our children’s behavior, our natural tendency might be to distance ourselves, but my friend is showing me the power of demonstrating unconditional love — “hugging a cactus,” as she would say.
I’m eager to hear from some moms of tweens and teens today. What are you learning? How can we pray for you?