The Dreaded Yellow Color

As we drove to school my ears were filled with stories from my eight year old daughter.  Stories of what happened yesterday on her favorite show all the way to what happened moment by moment on her favorite ride at the amusement part we visited over the summer.  You couldn't really call it a conversation.  It was just an onslaught of moments and memories.  They poured out of her as if  her brain just could not contain them any longer.

"Wow... bless her teacher at school today" , I thought.  Then I thought about the pit of my stomach that seized up anytime she was spoken to about talking to much in class or not paying attention.  The dreaded yellow color!  

I find myself praying,  "Lord, please help her be quite and still in class. Help her know how important it is ... and for me not to W..O..R..R..Y .... Then I fall into a loving long lecture about school behavior and consequences of bad behavior. 

Don't we do that though?  Don't we expect God to hear us and some how grant us the ability to control everything.   We may even do it with the best intentions.  We honestly and truly want the best for our children.  We don't want them to know the pain from living out bad decisions.  We want their days to be full of positive moments not punishments.  We want them to grow up respected by the world around them. AND... we don't want to stress our lives away, worrying every moment.

After our church service yesterday, I was again reminded that it is ALL and ONLY JESUS.  There is a certain FREEDOM that we can have.  We must realize He has the controls.  He has laid out a road map for us to follow.  He will take care of all we are not designed to control.  There is a joy and peace that comes from living in the parameters of the life and only the responsibilities He has laid out for us.  

When we love Jesus and accept His gift of salvation, we fall under His leadership and He becomes responsible for all that we can not control.  As humans, that it means anything out side our own bodies. (and for some of us... even something's going on in our own bodies)   It is hard to accept this fact.  I read this somewhere earlier this year,  "God gave us the power to raise our children.  He did not grant us the power to control them."

I came to this conclusion.  I will pray.  Each morning, during my day, at night, I will pray.  But my prayer will change.  I will remember to pray like this;

"Lord, help me to remember it is ONLY JESUS that can change a heart and mind.  Help me remember I am not in control of her day.  Help me to be wise in what I say when disciplining her.   Help her to be able to forgive my many moments of bad behavior.  Help me to gracefully pass along wisdom you have shown me.  Help me to love her, correct her, stand up for her and show her the perfect love you have shown me.  Lord let calm and peace reign in this mind and home and not worry and stress."

How will our lives and the lives of our children change when we completely understand ...  It is ALL and ONLY JESUS?