Color Andy's

“No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” –
1 Cor. 10:13

Sometimes days can just seem difficult, especially in the world of parenting. Sometimes we feel like we’re doing everything wrong. And sometimes we feel like our kids aren't doing anything right.

I was having a rough day last week. I wasn’t feeling well (I’d taken a hard run the day before), my schedule was packed and I was running behind schedule for lunch. But I made the 8-minute drive home from the church and fixed myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich (my favorite). I turned on the TV and waited for the solution to the stressful day: another episode of the Andy Griffith show. But as the commercial ended, here came Andy and Opie with their fishing poles.

And then it hit me. The episode was in color! COLOR. I was bummed. No Barney. No Gomer. And I would have to put up with Warren for 30 minutes. I was bummed. My plan for peace and contentment had fallen through.

But happiness and contentment based on the Andy Griffith show always falls through (unless it’s an episode with Barney and Earnest T). The same is true of finances, health, power, and the success of our kids. Deep down, if we’re honest, even when those things are going well, we have a discontented spirit. We desire something more.

That more is nothing less than a friendship and assurance that we are okay with the very God who created us. Most “rough” days are days when I’m in the drivers seat, not my loving Lord. “Rough” is always relative. A difficult day for one person is a day without a meal while a hard day for another is when their newly washed BMW gets dirty driving through a mud puddle.

The same is true in parenting. God has entrusted our precious children to our care for a season. And as we continually give them over to our loving God, peace and contentment are available to us. Peace, true peace, is available to us no matter our circumstances.

As a mom and dad, be ready for the temptation to look to performance rather than trust. And when the urge is there to lean on the circumstance, take the way out and lean on Him. Otherwise, you’ll lean on your kids and you’re a big load for them to carry.

Continually give your kids back to the loving God who is at work in their lives and rest in that peace. While you’re at it, give Him everything else too. Realize again that we’ll never have enough money and we’ll never be in perfect shape. It is like grabbing air- there’s no substance in leaning on those things.

And we’ll find out again that when we give it over to Him, life has peace and purpose again.

And Andy in color isn't so bad after all.

By Eric Joseph Staples ©
www.parentingyourteen101.com