Any Brave Parents Out There?

This parenting thing... it requires bravery, doesn't it? After an extremely challenging week in the parenting department {quite possibly the hardest thing I've had to deal with as a parent thus far...}, I've come to an even more beautiful realization of just how amazing and extravagant God's grace is! This mama is beyond thankful for grace... yes, beyond thankful!

I am also thankful for fellow bloggers writing about their parenting journey. Just two days ago, I came across a post written by Jen Hatmaker... it is entitled Brave Moms Raise Brave Kids. Reading it made me cry the ugly cry... yes, all alone here at home, in front of my computer, I ugly-cried to God. Reading it also really encouraged me... particularly this paragraph:

Being conformed into the image of Jesus is not a pretty process, because our kids are born into sin and God has messy, real work to do to transform them into disciples. This process involves sacrifice and loss and struggle and failure and courage and maybe even danger and cultivating a single-minded obsession with the kingdom. They may embarrass or disappoint or scare us as they wrestle with God, but can we see his redemptive hand in their lives even then?

Yes, even then! I've totally seen God's redemptive hand this week... yes, beauty out of ashes! And, for this, even though it involved a very difficult week {and there's still more remnants we have to deal with in the coming days, I'm sure}, I can truly say that I am truly grateful.

Friends, God's grace is a beautiful thing.

Beautiful... so beautiful, especially in the hardest and ugliest of times. As Ann Voskamp wrote just yesterday...

When it is hardest — that is when you sing the loudest. The devil flees at a hymn.

Abandon the worries… and Abide in the Word.
Abandon the fears… and Abide in the Father.
Abandon the hurts… and Abide in His heart.
Abandon the cares… because Christ will never abandon you.

And as Jen Hatmaker further writes in her blog post...

Scared moms raise scared kids. Brave moms raise brave kids. Real disciples raise real disciples.

Anyone want to be brave with me? And raise up real disciples? Abandoning worries, fears, hurts and cares, and abiding in Him as we journey along this path called motherhood? Absolutely, yes! I'm in!

Are you? 

Compassion is a command, an act of worship, a song of thanks to Him.

Do justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly with God!