“Desperate times call for desperate measures.”
Whoever coined that phrase must have been a parent. If they weren’t, surely they had a window into our home during one of those harrowing moments usually striking between the time school lets out and the time heads hit the pillow. If we’re honest, much of our parenting is a reaction to the messes and mistakes our children are making all around us. We never wanted to be reactionary parents, yet it feels like that’s all we have the energy to do.
The great news is that God designed parenting to be a better, more fulfilling job than you may be experiencing right now.
God’s intent is for us to send our children out like arrows. Psalm 127:4 describes it like, “arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth.” We recently gave our seven year old a Nerf® bow and arrow set. His first shot was hasty and clumsy, falling short of his intended target, which just so happened to be me. Thankfully the stakes are low with a foam-tip arrow in the front yard.
As the day went on, he took his time with each shot, lining up his arrow more carefully and choosing wisely where to shoot. In order to hit his target, he had to step back and prepare. Once he planted his feet, chose his target, and took aim, he hit doors, windows and siblings with accuracy. Once he learned to prepare his shot, he became much more accurate.
This study is your preparation. By stepping back from the urgent call of spilled Cheerios, math tests, broken curfews, or college applications, you can begin to seek the mind of God on how and where to shoot the arrows God has entrusted to you.
From Ready to Launch by J.D. and Veronica Greear. Click here for a FREE sample.