My (very limited and inexperianced) Thoughts on Parenting

Yesturday, as I was walking through Wal Mart, there was a young family walking in front of me. A girl who looked about four was not being a good listener. After being reprimanded by her mom the little girl asked for a hug. Her mother said "No. I don't want to hug you. You don't obey." For a moment I thought nothing of this and then as I pondered what this mother had told her child I saw a problem that plagues our world.

This little girl will forever believe that her mothers love must be earned through her obedience. This, I think, is a great tragedy because this little girl is being taught at this young age that love must be earned. As a child of God I know that this is not the case. God will never withhold His love from me because I am disobedient. In Romans 5:8 Paul says, "God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." While we were still sinners! Sin, anything that deviates from God's standard of perfection. I am so glad to serve a God who truly loves me unconditionally.

It broke my heart to have to acknowledge that in this world children are being brought up to understand that they will only be loved when they are good. I long to be the kind of parent who can correct my children when they are wrong while still displaying God's unconditional love. I want to be the kind of mom who can reprimand my four year old in Wal Mart and then turn around and reassure her of my love with a hug.

Now, I am nowhere near parenthood but I pray that when I get there I can remember this lesson. My parents have been an almost unflinching example of this correction in love philosophy and I pray that I may be too. The best way to explain how God loves us is to show it. I hope to always show God's love and when I fail I know He will still love me.