One at a time, holding back tears, I whispered the same three words into the delicately crafted ears of each child that day on the beach: “I love you.” I wanted to make sure each of them heard, each of them knew.
On a recent family road trip, we stopped at least once an hour. No exaggeration. By the fifth potty stop for the same child, it was all I could do to hold my tongue as we walked to the restroom. I felt impatience filling me like a balloon, and I was about to burst.
Though as Christian parents we all have a biblical responsibility to train our children, how this plays out differs greatly from one family to another. And, in all areas of life, we need to be on guard against elevating something we personally value to first importance.
Some nights I wish I could press a magic button and my children would be in pajamas with their teeth brushed and fast asleep...If I’m honest, some days I want to push that button and clock out even earlier...Seasons of parenting—of life too—can be like that.
Katie Faris 