WPTM #7: In His Eyes

What Parenting Teaches Me #7: In His Eyes

Well actually, this installment in my WPTM series is more like "What a Parenting Book Teaches Me". I am reading Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas right now and LOVING it...totally recommend it. Although it is not so much about parenting as it is about what we learn from parenting and how we can grow spiritually from parenting. Right up my alley, no?

I had to share this excerpt. Wish it was my observation - I loved the parallel so much!

Gary describes a young father watching his 3 year old son in the kitchen getting into all manner of things that are really not allowed for him to do (climbing onto counters, getting out glasses, pouring from a heavy milk carton, getting into the cookie jar, etc.). The child makes a number of messes and breaks things in the process - you can imagine all those details. The child begins to leave the kitchen with the cookies and milk. Begin quote:

The father stepped out to intercept his son, only to be greeted by a huge smile. "Here are your cookies, Dad. I love you."
In this story, I want you to place yourself in the son's position, not the dad's. We're the little child, trying to serve our heavenly Father and yet making a lot of messes in the process. We can't reach as high as we'd like, so we make do with makeshift steps to reach the counter. We knock over a few glasses, and we spill the milk while we're trying to prepare a drink. Lacking all wisdom, we come up with the great idea of cleaning up the mess with our shirt instead of with a washcloth. But what dad wouldn't feel touched by such a display of service, however messy it might be?
We're not the best parents, not by far. We don't have all the wisdom we'd like. We don't understand how everything fits together. We make mistakes, we make messes, we can do everything wrong - but God looks at us with a Father's delighted eyes. Where we see weakness, God sees humility. Where we see messes, God sees intent. Where we see failings, God sees motives.
And he smiles. He takes us into his arms. And he laughs a delighted Father's laugh.

End quote.