Week 18!

Challenge:A few months ago, I went in to get Havana up from her nap and I discovered that she had gotten her diaper rash cream everywhere! It was on her walls, on her sheets, on her toys, on her clothes, and in her hair. I immediately put her in the bath and had to use vinegar and dish soap to get it out of her hair. Her skin remained white for about 24 hours. After washing her sheets and stuffed animals I noticed that they were stained. It took about two days for me to wipe all the cream off of the walls. Her clothes came out of the wash still smelling of Desitin. I was frustrated about it and as I was changing her sheets the Lord stopped me and asked, "Does this diaper cream fiasco hold any eternal weight?" "No, Lord." "Then let it go."
I don't know about you, but sometimes I can focus on things that don't matter eternally. I grumble about sheets having a white stain or the fact I had to give my daughter a bath in vinegar, but neither of those should eat up any of my emotional and parental energy because they hold no eternal weight. It's just diaper cream. Now, if Havana had directly disobeyed me and had gotten into the cream despite my instruction not to, then my daughter's heart would have some issues we would need to deal with because she would not be in accordance with Scripture. However, that wasn't the case for this situation and so I needed to let it go.
I didn't realize at the time, but the Lord was preparing me for what was going to happen a few days later. I painted Selah's toes in front of Havana. I had asked her if she wanted her toes painted as well and she said no. Not thinking much of it I moved on about my day. Yet, later, Havana tried to paint her own toes (while I was in another room) and spilled an entire bottle of RED nail polish on our beige carpet. Talk about a big, gigantic, permanent stain. I tried everything to clean it up, but nothing helped. It is still there and will be until we get new carpet (which is years up the road). I had to breath in deeply and then say, "this holds no eternal weight" -- and like that, my new red carpet was no big deal. Thank You, Lord. :).

My challenge, then, is to be conscious of my corrections and encouragements. Are they over the things that matter in eternity? If not, they don't need my praise or my correction... I need to save my energy and focus in parenting to the things that matter to my child's soul. Correcting disobedience, helping them overcome sin, helping them fall in love with Christ, and teaching them to serve and love others... those are big deals. Stained carpet, spilled milk, successful career, or full ride college scholarship... those are not big deals.
Dear God, so many times I can focus on what doesn't matter - the outward appearance or action, but You look at the heart (Samuel 16:7) and I pray that I would do the same. Teach me, Lord, what holds eternal weight and what does not. Help me differentiate what is worth my energy and focus and what I need to let go of. I pray that I would be less controlled by the flesh and more led by the Spirit as I parent my wonderful children. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Prayer: Lord, I pray that You would teach my children about Yourself. I pray that You would teach them about Your power and Your might. I pray that they will know that Your name is the LORD (Jeremiah 16:21). May my children experience first hand that among all the gods in the world, there is none like You; no deeds can compare with Yours (Psalm 86:8). I pray that they would never turn to anything in this world to fulfill them, but that they would know that wine will betray them, arrogance with bring them no rest, and greed will never satisfy (Habakkuk 2:5). In the name of Jesus, I ask that my children would never become an enemy of You by having a friendship with this world (James 4:4), but instead I pray that my children will be a servant of Christ Jesus, called and set apart for the Gospel of God just as Paul was (Romans 1:1). May the God-shaped hole in their lives be filled with nothing other than Your incredible Holy Spirit. In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.