Monday, June 15, 2009



Lions, and tigers, and bears, and going under the water, and tall men with deep voices, and scary cow pictures at the Mexican restaurant, and unnecessarily weird children's shows--these are all the things that scare Bitty these days. As in running to me, clutching my neck, and burying her face in my hair. Oh, my sensitive girl--she is absolutely sensitive in every way, especially in her love. She's forever making sure everyone is okay--even the chair that fell over backwards at her playtable. Chair, you okay? *kiss* All better.

I'm inspired and challenged by her heart. How can I encourage it and yet protect it? How can I make sure I don't crush it to pieces with even one disapproving glance? Oh, and we definitely have discipline in this house--time outs galore and a few spanking warnings (although we haven't gotten there yet....), but how can I make sure the rebelliousness in her is caught and cornered, but the unbridled love she has for even inanimate objects is set free?

I'm assuming prayer is the correct answer here, which I will do. And do some more. But, goodness, this parenting thing hurts. Perhaps I just need one of her kisses to make it all better. Though I know they'll just break my heart even more.

9 comments:

Swansonager said...

Great post! You have to listen to the message from Sunday, it spoke to me as a parent more than any sermon I've heard since becoming one :)

June 14th - Call on Me - http://www.apostles.org/podcast/index.html

Cindy said...

Just the fact that you contemplate all of these things mean you're on the right path...I think. Blessings. Cindy

Jill said...

So cute!!!

Kelly Sauer said...

I posted recently about a parenting book I just found recently; I'm doing a review of it for Ungrind this month too. You should seriously check it out - you don't get a lot of method to answer your questions with the book, but it is SO good about identifying the heart of it all!

My post: (http://livingbygrace.blogspot.com/2009/06/very-helpful-perspective.html)

Another review: (http://lifestream.org/blog/2009/04/18/grace-based-parenting/)

Alison said...

Matt-that was an incredible sermon--thank you! And thank you, Kelly! I will check that out!

Lael said...

How precious. I had a parent learning moment myself last night. Slightly different, but the same very real concerns. How do I do this and "get it right"? Prayer is definitely the one thing that I have been trying to do so much of lately and I realize that the impact is solidly changing my heart for the better and turning me into more of the mother God would want me to be. I just have a long way to go. We really miss you guys. Oh, out of the blue, Clare asked about Ava a couple of days ago. amazing post.

Ana Degenaar said...

I enjoyed thank you for sharing your feelings and thoughts with us!

Jill said...

When I said, "so cute" I meant the picture, not that she was terrified of things!!! Hope that wasn't midleading!

Ashlee said...

I need the answer to this too! I am a lot like Bitty, and I think my little girl is too. Parenting is hard!