TOMATO SAUCE MUSTACHE

Yesterday, I discovered that one of our kiddos, who shall remain nameless - I'll just call her #7 - left an open tin can, half full of tomato sauce overnight in the refrigerator.  I happened upon this senseless crime against humanity when I opened the refrigerator and said can tumbled out slopping tomato sauce all over me, the freezer drawer below, the kitchen floor, and across to the china cabinet.  This happened at around 8 AM putting me at only two cups of coffee... just enough to prevent a killing spree at Casa Canote.

Of course, my mind goes to how we have failed as a parents.  It was a punch in the gut to my parenting confidence.  How could #7 have reached the age of 14 in our house and not yet know this is NOT ok?!?  When have we ever left an open half can of anything overnight in the refrigerator?!?  

I could just picture the fuzzy tomato sauce mustache of mold and food poisoning which was surely already beginning to grow across the top!  

It was the same sort of feeling we parents get when our child acts out in a publicly humiliating way...like the grocery store, the library, or worse AT CHURCH!  

Can I just tell ya something?  From the 10K foot view:  We are not perfect parents and I bet you are not either!  To be fair, the older I get, the more clearly this reality becomes settled in my mind.  None of us have it all figured out and that's ok.

We know the One who is perfect, and He has all of the advice we could ever need right in His Word.  As Christ-followers, we also have the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us as we do our best to parent our children.

Of course, we want to raise Godly kids who will follow hard after Jesus, and not grow mustaches and botulism in their refrigerators!  

The only way to do that is God’s way.  We cannot expect ourselves to be perfect parents.  We also cannot expect our children to be perfect kids.  We are all a work in progress.  That means one thing we can do is have confidence in God's promise to keep working in and through us until we are complete.  And just a reminder:  If our children know Jesus, then oh hallelujah, that promise is for them as well!

Prayer - 
Father, thank You for your promises!  You have promised to meet all of my needs, that all things work together for good for those who love You, and that nothing I do can make You love me any more or less than You already do.  Help me to lean hard into You as a parent and to trust in Your perfect plans and timing for me and for my children.  Amen.

I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  -- Philippians 1:6 (CSB)

#Missions #Evident #MásDeTi