Today I am thankful for the humility that comes from living with teenagers who, on a rotating and almost daily basis, feel the need to make me aware of my every fault, as teenagers do. There is a certain quality I like about it…humility…so why not be thankful for it and embrace it fully?
We know it pleases God when we are humble. There’s another kind of humility that comes from being appreciated and I’m thankful for that, too. Thankful for friends who have raised their teenagers and can make me laugh with them in their hind sights. When I’m feeling like a complete failure, I can pull out a card I keep in my Bible that was given to me by one of my adult daughters thanking me for her childhood…for the lessons and things I’ve provided in her life that she feels were truly unique and are of value to her.
It’s important to lay hold of the truth that our efforts don’t always pay off in the ‘now’ and sometimes we have to wait to see the fruit of our labor. In the meantime it is good and right to fix our minds on things that are noble and true and to know that God’s purpose so often circumvents our mistakes.