Train up a child

"Little children, headache; big children heartache"

An Italian Proverb


We raise our children:

"Train up a child in the way he should go,
Even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

This is a principle from God, but it is not a promise.

Many a parent has lovingly raised up their children in God's truth only to see these same beloved children turn from His truth into some kind of deception.  The world is evil and it pulls and pushes at all of us.

I have heard many mothers complaining about their troubles with their little ones.  For them---they are struggling---not realizing the hardest part is coming, and even more difficult is when their children are adults.  This is when we can only watch when they choose poorly.

Prayer. 

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry."
Psalm 40:1

As a parent, how do we wait patiently?  How can we wait calm and patient when our treasured child has chosen a path of destruction?  How can we wait calmly when we can't do anything to help them/stop them?

In Psalm 40:1 the word, "cry" [here] in Hebrew means "scream" (I was told this).  

How appropriate!  When we are waiting patiently for some agony to turn around, we are usually in great anxiety and, at least in our heads, we are screaming, shouting for the LORD to hear and save!

Waiting.

Sisters in the LORD... are you waiting?   Is there a wayward child in your life?  Is there a wayward loved one?  Are you anxious and frustrated and then confused because your "waiting" doesn't seem to be patient?

"Waiting and patient" don't seem to go together.   I encourage you to continue.  Continue to draw near to the LORD who is our comfort.  As your time of waiting ebbs and flows you will learn from Him to wait more calmly.

Waiting is VERY active.  I do not mean "worrying", but waiting.  We wait in the LORD with great expectations because we KNOW He hears our cries.  

Waiting is always full and busy in our heads.  We think and pray and anticipate---no matter how long we wait.  As we learn to wait on Him our waiting becomes more patient. Somehow He works in us, frail and broken us.  We begin to rely on Him more and more. We begin to "see" that our waiting on our "waywards"  is more as He views waiting patiently.  We become more like Christ.

Precious sisters...continue to pray, waiting patiently for the LORD our God is surely hearing our cries, our screams!

*
Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,saying, 

“In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 

For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 

‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man,yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.’” 

And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says; 

now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 

I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. 

However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1-8