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Dear Friends,
This edition of Pebbles
of Truth deals with an area we all dread as parents … when our children
doubt God’s love for them. Here is
an article from a single mom that I found helpful …
by Barbara Schiller
When Children Doubt
"I
thought you and dad would stay together forever,” my daughter sniffled, “Why didn’t Jesus answer my
prayers?" As she cried on her
bed, I felt helpless. This was not
only a family crisis; it was a crisis of her faith too! She needed to know that Jesus still
loved and cared for her.
Many single parents will experience painful
situations like this. The
challenge is to help our children manage these hard times while showing
them that the Lord is trustworthy.
It's never easy to let our children doubt God. But there are steps we can take to get more
comfortable with their search for the Jesus who will be real in their
lives.
First, be vulnerable with God. We each must be willing to say,
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts ... and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:
23-24). Confess your sins and
don’t beat yourself up.
Second, remember little eyes never stop
watching! Our children intuitively
know when we're phony. If we say
we trust God, we must reflect that in our willingness to accept the path
he sends us down. When we make
mistakes, our children need to see us repent and apologize, especially
when we hurt them.
Third, don’t use false guilt to draw your children
to Jesus. Telling them that God is
angry with them only produces shame and tempts them to hide their true
feelings. They need to know they
can bring anything to God and that he is full of grace and love for them.
Finally, don't be afraid to answer their questions
with "I don't know."
This helps them see that life is very difficult and confusing,
even for adults. When they see you
don't have all the answers but still trust in God, they’ll be more likely
to do the same.
As my daughter and I talked, I shared a favorite
verse: 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own
understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your
paths straight' (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Sweetheart, I'm in shock that your dad and I are getting a
divorce, too. But I know that we
can ask Jesus to, little by little, help us trust him with our
future."
Celebrating
Family,
Bruce
McCracken
Founder, President
House on the Rock Family Ministries
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If you
found this information helpful, we have made other Pebbles of Truth articles
available on our website (www.hotrfm.org). Each month we feature
articles on the topics of: men's issues, marriage, blended families,
parenting, and church ministry to families. You will also find a
great deal more information about House on the Rock Family Ministries!
Thanks for visiting.
Please
feel free to forward this to friends and family … we just ask that you
keep it intact … thanks
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