Rear Guard in Parenting

There are days in parenting - many, in fact - that I can feel that I am in over my head with the issues I face as a mom.  Do you have days like that?  It is during those times that we need to keep the perspective of Who gave these children to us to raise and that His desire for them to flourish is even greater than our own.  There is a verse in Isaiah that paints a picture of one of the ways God is with us, that has powerfully impacted me.  It says in Isaiah 52:12, "The Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard."  Can you picture that with me?  If God is before us AND behind us as our rear guard - is there any place that we are not protected?  No, He has us covered, watching over from the front and the back.

When I have felt that I cannot possibly deal with the issues facing me in parenting, this is one of the verses that God has brought to remind me of His ability to work through these times with me.  I was reminded of this recently, when I was facing an attitude issue with one of my children in the way they were treating their siblings.  This child was completely resisting my encouragement and designated consequences that I was implementing to try and modify their behaviour, and the treatment of siblings was declining.  Finally, out of frustration (and I am not sure this was the best way to handle it but God was faithful), I told this child that I was not sure what was going on in their heart but they needed to get alone and figure it out because the behaviour toward siblings could not continue.  This child came back to me only moments later with a smile on their face and a look of shock...here is why.  They had walked back into the school room and picked up their Handwriting workbook (which is based on scripture verses), with still no further desire to change their own heart, God had stepped in.  This child told me, "Mom, of all the days to write out a verse, let alone the verse that was chosen - I can't believe this one.  I know God is trying to speak to me." The verse was from Proverbs 11:17 & 18 and it read, "Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel...the good man's reward lasts forever."  I have to tell you that the fruit of God dealing with my child, after I had done my best, were night and day.  This child enjoyed the rest of the day with a peaceful heart and a kindness to siblings that was unmatched from weeks prior.  God was before me and behind me as a rear guard so clearly that day, as I gave my meager offering in attempting to parent, He stepped in and blew me out of the water.

Obviously, this does not mean that I will not have issues again on this topic, with this child; but as in the past when God has spoken to one of them, there is a reference point to go back to.  There is far more fruit when God becomes personally involved in our parenting, than when we try to do it alone.  Ask God to be your rear guard and back you on issues you may be facing as you train up your children in the way they need to go - He will be faithful.