Parenting Nightmare
I’m going through a trial regarding something that has apparently been going on for a while with one of my children and I am just learning about it. God is working on shifting my perspective and I am working on letting Him. The following is a series of visions over multiple days.
I saw a thick brown braid tied with leather. Then a golden liquid flowed down beside the braid that looked like honey with sparks of light bursts. I did not see how the two things went together.
“Daughter, you must allow Me and my perspective to pour into the braid.”
“Do you mean that the gold flow would be one of the three portions of the braid?” I asked remembering the scripture, Ecclesiastes 4:12, ESV.
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Immediately the golden river poured over and then penetrated each hair of the braid. It made the braid solid gold.
“No daughter, I don’t desire you to be a part of the equation I desire to consume and transform all things. Full submission to My plan is needed. You must surrender all your believed rights and what you deem righteous anger to Me.”
I repented about my current sad status of trying to fix things on my own and wallowing in emotion.
“I did not create you to live in anger, bitterness, rage, and malice. Your soul and body were not designed to carry that weight and pain, and if left in there it will lead to sickness of heart and body.”
***
The next day when I should have been praying, I spent a large amount of time in vain imaginations, I’m sad to say. What I mean by that is I played mind movies of what could, should or would happen if I got my way. This is a colossal waste of time and takes a lot to break out of. So, there I was back in repentance again for living in my will and desires instead of His.
I saw a windmill with giant white sails. I could almost hear the creak of their slow and steady movements.
“Don’t go fighting windmills.”
This time I laughed. In my relationship with the Lord, He often uses humor to break me out of bad mindsets. The meaning was obvious: I had chosen false enemies to fight and waste my precious energy on. Instead, He instructed me to put on the full armor of God, Ephesians 6:10-18.
***
Throughout that same day, I’m sad to admit, I needed to surrender my rogue thoughts spewing with anger and frothing over at the mouth with resentment. As I surrendered, He showed me the wisdom of dropping anger and resentment.
A great gathering of long stem roses grouped together drooped their heads, touching the dusty ground. I felt a deep sadness that I couldn’t see the roses, only the viciously arrayed thorns on the stems.
“Resentment is a drooping flower. All the thorns, but none of the beauty. As you grasp these flowers and bring them back in the air to deliver a strike onto someone else’s back, the thorns gouge yours. Time spent in resentment can only bring pain and no resolution.”
***
Today in prayer.
A metal hanger hung suspended in the air and a white scarf was placed on the hanger and it promptly slid off. The scarf was picked up from the other end and placed on the hanger and it fell off. Then the two ends were brought together and tied. The scarf remained on the hanger.
“You have your perspective, and the other party has their perspective. Each time one tries to solve the problem from only their perspective, the problem will remain unsolved. If both parties come together and tie their viewpoints together, the middle ground allows the scarf to remain secure. There must be unity in the body to find a mutually agreeable solution.”
***
From that time on, the Lord has been having me lay down my viewpoint to look at the other side’s perspective. It has shifted my mindset into prayer for the other parties. And has amplified my knowledge that the Lord’s plans will not be thwarted. That whatever the Lord has for my daughter, I will do my part to advocate for her needs, but God will ultimately provide all things.
God never promised that raising children would be easy. There will be the parenting nightmare kind of days or even seasons.
I don’t know if you are going through a parenting nightmare where you need to advocate for your child, and it is painful and fraught with miscommunication. But maybe you are facing another obstacle where it seems you are horribly misunderstood, and your assumed intentions are far from reality. Either way, the Lord has a solution, but you may need to drop your perspective, listen to, and unite with another perspective and achieve unity and healing.
Whatever you are going through, I’m praying for a perspective, shift that involves submission to God’s solution. He has one for your current problem. In the meantime, hang in there. Being a parent is hard, but God chose you to steward that great gift. Your child is blessed to have you as their earthly guardian that always points them to their ultimate healer.
Hang in there you will get through this parenting nightmare.
Prayer for you and me: Lord, this hurts. I hate feeling misunderstood and stripped of choices. Other people have made decisions that have put me in a hard spot. But You are the solution. You are the Alpha and Omega. You already have the victory at the end of the trial. And I thank You for it now even when I cannot yet see it. Soothe us in our parenting nightmares. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.