{re}building family by parenting without fear

You don’t have to get very far into parenting to realize the fear that accompanies it. Fear for our children, fear of our adequacy, of health and hazards and how they’ll turn out.

For most parents, fear is always gnawing in the interstices of thought. And when you’re in the midst of a trial or crisis, fear is multiplied and tries very hard to rent space in your head and heart.

Fear will completely drive out peace and leave turmoil. And then when it has unsettled us, it goes on to affect how we make decisions, how we perceive our circumstances, how we relate to others and how we react.

I have to confess that one of the hardest things for me after Dan died was battling fears. Many are too personal to even name, but as a suddenly single mom with seven children, statistics and stories I’d heard and fears of what might be were crushing.

Sadly, I found myself many times parenting out of fear.  I was battling those same things: fear for my children, fear of my own adequacy, of health and hazards and how they’d turn out without Dan in our home.

Fear reacts; wisdom instructs.

Fear decides based on control;
wisdom decides based on truth.

Fear looks at statistics;
wisdom trusts in God’s sovereignty.

Perfect love casts out all fear.  I’ve had to apologize many times for the parenting born out of fear, not love.  But as I look at {re}building our home this month, to bring the good days here now and not look back with regret at the days that were, I need to parent — trusting God — in love.

#workinprogress #write31days

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