Two nights ago, his two young kids had to go to the hospice unit to see him for the last time. His fight with cancer is coming to an end and he is preparing to see the Lord Jesus.
My good friend has been sharing her friend’s journey over the last year, and that was one of her recent texts: they’re bringing the kids up to see him for the last time.
Isn’t it easy to wallow in self-pity, in self-centerdness, in “woe is me”?
To get caught up in what our kids are lacking, how they’re annoying us, and to just see the worst?
I’m all about acknowledging our heartache. I’m all about acknowledging difficulty, but once we have felt it, I’m also about letting it go and not sitting and wallowing in it.
Friends, life is too short to wallow.
We have a certain number of days here, how do we want to spend them?
As I have heard about this husband and father who has spent his life serving our country and following Jesus, and about his recent days, I am quickly brought back to reality.
To the shortness of this life, to the importance of spending our words and days wisely, to the worth of following Jesus with all we have & loving our families with all we have.
It’s completely normal to get caught up in the frustrations of the everyday. To feel like we’re just trying to keep our heads above water and to want to throw our hands up. To lose our cool with our children who have thrown the fifteenth tantrum. To be done with the monotony, the messes, the loudness.
But, life is too short to wallow.
If we do, we miss it.
We miss the good things. The beauty that CAN be found in the monotony, the mess, the loud.
This is the thing – as parents, we set the course for our kids. That does not mean we have to be perfect. At all.
But, to be real, acknowledge tough feelings when we’re having them, and then showing them how to move forward in being “joyful always, praying continually, and giving thanks at all times,” because that’s what Jesus calls us to.
Not to ignore our feelings, but to acknowledge them, and then move forward.
We can do this because our hope is not in this world.
Our hope is in Jesus.
When we look at our kids and immediately want to gripe and be annoyed, Lord, would you give us hearts that see you in our kids instead? Would you give us words of grace to speak to our kids with genuine kindness and love? Would you replace barking attitudes and quick anger with a gentle love that comes only from you by the power of the Holy Spirit?
When we mess up, Lord, thank you that we can show our kids what your beautiful forgiveness looks like by asking for forgiveness from you and our kids, accepting grace , and moving on. Lord, lead us to be the parents you want us to be so we can love you and our families with all our hearts, minds, souls and strength, and so we can bring glory to you. Help us to overflow with gratitude because of you.
Lord, please be with this family and others who are walking the difficult path of hospice, and Oh Jesus, we pray that you would give them hope and show yourself to each of them, and that they would believe in you and enter into forever with you.
Lord, help us to number our days that we would gain hearts of wisdom and live fully in your your presence, your peace, your joy. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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Linsey Driskill 