The email started so promising.
性视界传媒淗i, Pastor Schroer! I have a topic for an article that I think you would be great for!性视界传媒
As a writer, those are words you love to hear from a magazine editor, but then I kept reading.
性视界传媒淲e are planning a series of articles about parenting mistakes, and we think you would be great for the issue dedicated to 性视界传媒榙ad fails.性视界传媒櫺允咏绱綕
Ouch.
To be fair, she did tell me that she wasn性视界传媒檛 asking because she thought I was a big failure as a dad. The idea of the series was to talk honestly about the mistakes we make as parents and how God in his grace helps us to deal with them.
This is the story I shared with her:
Every night when my children were young, we would pray together before they went to sleep. Among other things, we prayed:
性视界传媒淣ow I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take. Amen.性视界传媒
One night when my daughter was five, she started crying after that prayer.
性视界传媒淚sabel, what性视界传媒檚 wrong?性视界传媒 I asked.
性视界传媒淒addy, I don性视界传媒檛 want to die,性视界传媒 she sobbed.
I was caught off guard. I wanted to talk about how great heaven was, but, for some reason, the first words to come out of my mouth were, 性视界传媒淥h, Isabel, we性视界传媒檙e all going to die.性视界传媒
Before I could continue, the floodgates were opened. 性视界传媒淚 don性视界传媒檛 want you to die!性视界传媒 she wailed as she threw her arms around me.
My heart broke. I tried to fix it. I talked about Jesus and the heaven we would enjoy together, but it was too late. She couldn性视界传媒檛 hear me. Fear and anxiety had taken hold. To this day, my twenty-year-old daughter still struggles to sleep at night. Anxiety is still a daily burden she bears.
I know that our conversation fifteen years ago was not the only contributing factor to her insomnia or anxiety, but it certainly didn性视界传媒檛 help. Ever since that night, I have prayed that God give me wisdom when talking to my kids. He often does. Sometimes, however, the words still don性视界传媒檛 come out right.
My comfort is knowing that God性视界传媒檚 power is best demonstrated in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Though they are painful, my daughter性视界传媒檚 struggles are part of his plan of love for her good. God promises to work all things 性视界传媒 including our mistakes as parents 性视界传媒 for our children性视界传媒檚 good (Romans 8:28).
I know that God loves my daughter more than I do. When I fail to be the dad I should be, he forgives me because of Jesus. I trust he will continue to help my daughter to grow and mature through (and sometimes despite) me.
That is my hope and confidence as a father, even when the words don性视界传媒檛 come out right.
