I Prayed for This Child. . .

August 30, 2013 by Catherine Schembri 2 Comments


I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him..
1 Samuel 1:27

Oh, I definitely prayed – and God blessed me doubly with twins!  But now those sweet little bundles are teens with eyes that roll, mouths that like to test sassy new tones, and hearts that have become prone to drama and angst.  I get daily opportunities to remember that my greatest desire was to have the opportunity to love these boys.

The Eye Roll

In addition to the new and strange vocal patterns emitting from their mouths, my sons have been enveloped in an evil fog that erases their memories!  They are forgetting to pick up after themselves, which chores they were asked to complete, what time they are supposed to be showered and ready for bed, how much they love each other, and who possesses the authority in this home.  I’m told that this condition could last for several years.

The "Mom is an Idiot" Face

There are multiple occasions each day when I stand at the crossroads.  I can either devolve into a screeching shrew and dress my kids down, or remember why they were given to me and provide gentle correction.

It can be so hard not to take all of these things personally!  I will admit, I have had a few pity parties where I wondered how it was possible that these children could be so self centered, so ungrateful, so insolent!  After everything I have done for them!!  The nerve!

If my mother were to read this, she would probably laugh.  After raising four of us, she is pretty familiar with this type of parental anguish and although I am sure it is hard to believe, I was often the cause. *sheepish grin*  I spent most of my teen years in my room behind a closed door, reading and avoiding human contact.  People stopped talking to me after a while because all I ever said was “No,” or “I don’t care.”  I’m sure it was a challenge not to clobber me and she probably practiced a lot of constraint.

Signs of a Possible Teen Invasion

Last night I found myself at that crossroads again.  I was at my wits end with two crabby boys who were feeding off of each others’ bad moods.  A meltdown felt inevitable – possibly my own!  Instead, I took Boy Two out with me to run an errand.  We had some time alone to talk and it was good.  We did something nice for Boy One while we were out so when we came home we had a surprise for him that smoothed the remaining ruffled feathers. Suddenly there was love again in a house that was a powder keg just a little while before.  A few small things and now everyone felt loved, appreciated, and content – crisis averted.

It isn’t always going to be a happy Walton’s Mountain ending, so I  hope my discipline is wise, constructive and that it is given and received with love.  I pray that I always remember to see my boys with a lens of grace since it was only through generous amounts of grace that I survived my own youth.  (Okay, and adulthood!)  If I am lucky, they will remember the love most of all.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
1 Peter 4:8