Do you ever struggle to like your child? I addressed this struggle in a post last month. You can read it here: Help, I don't like my child!
Elizabeth had something to add, and I think it is worth highlighting:
"It never hurts to ASK GOD to give you that "LIKE" for your child. My son is only five and a half, so I have a feeling I will be praying that prayer a few more times in the years ahead. But already, I can count at least two specific seasons where my heart echoed this Mother's. And I was especially burdened over it because, for crying out loud, I had longed for this boy for EIGHT PLUS YEARS!? How could I now not be liking him? How ungrateful WAS I?
I took this to my group of praying friends and asked them to ask God to give me an AFFECTION and appreciation, a "like" if you will, for my boy. And I can tell you, in no time at all, God was quite pleased to answer those prayers with a hearty YES. So much so that I have not been living in a long SEASON of liking my son. That's not to say we don't have our difficult moments (HA!) but the overriding tone between us is one of deep affection and enjoyment of one another."
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" ~Matthew 7:7-11
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This is something that can be hard to ask God for, because first it requires admitting it to myself, and then to God, that I am struggling with something that seems so wrong to struggle with!
Often I will pray, God help me see this child as you see him (or her). Not just the hard things that I am seeing so obviously, but also, the wonder that child is as God's creation.
Give me more love, and help me really see my children!
And He does answer these prayers!
Mothers, what would you say to a mom who is struggling with liking their child?
Oh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one! Actually, I'm often amazed that my children like ME!
ReplyDeleteLiking and loving other sinners is something we'll always struggle with. (We could include our spouse in that for sure.) I have a child I have a hard time liking at times. But as it's already been said, praying is all we can do. Asking our Father to give us the love, affection, kindness we need and want. It is His will that we have those things for the children He has given us, I find comfort in that.