This Adulting Gig is Exhausting.....

Parenting is hard ya'll!

Emotionally

Physically

Just hard.

Last week, I was done. I mean totally absolutely done. Madeline was not taking her medicine, so we had to change course and decide on another medication. Norah, my typical child, has discovered her whining voice - and lemme tell ya, I'd rather listen nails down a chalkboard while watching paint dry while being forced to eat generic ketchup with non Chick-fil-A fries.

I had zero desire to pray, much less open my Bible for anything. What was that going to change? Madeline was still not going to swallow a pill, and Norah's voice can't magically turn off the whine mode.

Jesus - you've got nothing for me. What good is it going to do to talk to you or read about something that happened what feels like eons ago? My circumstances are not on your priority list. Madeline's autism and ADHD will still be there tomorrow.

This was my heart and this was my attitude. Then for whatever reason (yeah, it was God) this verse came to my mind:

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.  Hebrews 4:15-16

Wow. Why would I not come to Jesus? Why would I hold anything back? The creator of the universe came to the earth as a man and was tempted and stayed sinless....... AND sympathizes with my weaknesses. The Bible says I can come to him with confidence. Jesus is so tangible to me and yet day after day I disregard him as some "higher power" who can't possibly care about me. Ya'll, there could be nothing further from the truth.

I don't come to Jesus to "fix" Madeline. I come to Jesus to get to know the One who created Madeline and ask for wisdom as to how to steward this precious gift. 

I don't come to Jesus like I would come to a genie to grant my wishes for a better life. I come to Jesus to ask for his grace to deal with the life he's called me to lead.

I don't read my Bible so Jesus will say "Great job, Chris, you've checked off your religious box today. I guess I can make things a little less stressful today." I read my Bible to learn more about who God is and how my relationship with Him defines my purpose here on this earth.

When life gets stressful I shouldn't run away from my Father, but run to my Father through prayer and reading the Bible..... with confidence. Every time I try to live out this thing called life on my own, I fail miserably.

So the long and short of it? I'll leave you with this: