Fender Bender

Have you ever had one of those really minor fender benders? So minor that "fender bender" exaggerates the description? No measurable damage, no injuries, no police report or insurance to file.  Just enough of a bump to grab your attention...and make you pay a little more attention while you're on the road? We had one of those last week in the car line dropping my son off for school.  The mom behind us was looking for something, let her foot slip off the brake and rolled into the back of us.  She was embarrassed more than anything else, and I felt really bad for her because, let's be honest, that's totally something I would do.

After we got out of the car line and could stop to look at our cars, there was no damage at all.  But for the rest of the day I was much more aware of everything around me on the road.  That little bump didn't do any damage, just gave us a bit of a jolt, and made me more aware.  As the day wore on and I thought about that little fender bender, I thought about the times in life where I've had life "fender benders".

You know the ones I mean.  The health scare that turns out to be nothing but makes you take care of yourself better.  The friends who walks through something unthinkable with a child that makes you appreciate yours a little more.  The coworker who loses a spouse and makes you value yours a little more.  The neighbor who loses their home and makes you more thankful for the shelter you have.  There are lots of them.  I'm sure you've thought of a few yourself.  They aren't things that rock your world or alter your life, but they get your attention.

It's so easy in life to take our focus off of what's right in front of us, what's really important.  Then our foot just slips off the brake and hopefully all that happens is a fender bender.  Or maybe we just stay focused on the important, stay aware of all the blessing around us and don't need the fender bender to get our attention.

(Un)Popular

Lately my son would tell you that I'm the strictest mom on the planet.  There are some shows, books, movies, TV shows, games that he's been exposed to through friends that he really wants to dive into.  But for these different things, for different reasons we've said no.  Needless to say I've been very unpopular.

As I've spent a good bit of time these last few weeks feeling very unpopular, I've also felt very much peace about the decisions we've made for Payne.  I've told Payne many times in these last weeks that I answer to God first as his mom.  And that's more important to me than being popular with him.  The older my kids get, the less popular I become, it seems.  The parenting decisions get harder, the kids reactions get stronger.   And just when I start to feel this grand pressure that comes with parenting, God does what He loves to do to me.  He gently speaks.

He reminds me of the times that He's told me no.  He reminds me of the times that He pointed me in a different direction than I really wanted to go.  He reminds me of the times that His parenting of this stubborn child left Him as less than popular in my eyes for a time.  And reminds me that His best for me is not always what I think I want at the time.  And reminds me that He never waivers from His best...because He knows best.

In that I find confidence in parenting.  And empathy for my son.

K(no)w Limits

A week ago I had surgery.  As we left, the nurse gave my husband a list of things I can't do for the first few days, the first week or two and then for six weeks total.  It's not a long list, but it's a limiting list.  Things like "don't lift more than 10 pounds."  Did you know it takes more than 10 pounds of force to pull open my freezer? I didn't either...until this week.  This week I've found myself very frustrated with my physical limitations.  But the last day or two I've noticed something.  I can push the limits a little more.  I can do just a little bit more.  Knowing my limits has been a good thing, but knowing I can push them daily is even better.

What are your limits? Or limitations? Not physically, but in your career, your family, your calling, your ministry? Are you content to see the limits you or someone else have put on you and not push further? Or do you see the limits as challenges? Do they frustrate you to the point that you push yourself to overcome the limitation?

We so often place ourselves (or allow others to place us) inside a box.  And we get comfortable in the box.  And we'll grow some in the box.  But at some point we have to decide to either stop growing and stay in the box or continue growing and push those walls, those limits out of the way.

One thing I've learned this week is that limitations are temporary.  They are often necessary, but they are only temporary.  Limitations aren't the end.  When they're reached they become the places of growth.  What are your limitations? What do you need to do to grow past them?