Not having a clue. It kind of sucks! I know so many people that know why they believe, what they believe and why they believe it. I am NOT one of those people. NOT right now anyway, I wish I was. I think. (sometimes ignorance is a blessing….sometimes)
This week I admitted in passing conversation with my kids that I sometimes am not sure what is right and wrong in the bible. I am not sure if my parents ever told me that. If they did, I forget. I grew up comforted thinking exactly what I believed was right and that there is a black and white line to everything. I am glad this was one less thing to stress about in childhood. But now, as a parent, I wonder what this “Raised Baptist” girl is believing. Although I do not express ALL of my HOT MESS confusion to my kids I do wrestle with a lot of things I use to feel were facts. I am so unsure of the different extremes of the Bible. The literal meanings, the actual meanings, the things that should have meaning but do not any longer because the world is SUCH a mess. I am a confused hot mess and to some “little” extent…..my kids DO know. And…..I am ok with that. I am more interested in being real than a Mary Poppins mom.
We have one shot at this parenthood thing. I know the kind of parent that I do not want to be. I know the kind of adults I want my kids TO be. I am just not so sure I know how to get ME from point A ….to……THEM to point B. In the end they will have their chance to decide what to believe and how to act. They know their job is to love. They owe nothing to anyone BUT love. I am learning and teaching simultaneously that we are not the shot callers. We aren’t know-it-alls. We are imperfect-all of us-even me. I let my kids know I make mistakes. I would rather they find this out FROM me and not ABOUT me.
Do you let your kids know you aren’t perfect? If so, what age do you feel is right or are you just waiting for them to figure it out in their teenage years? (Let Me Know in the Comments Below)
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I let my kids know I’m not perfect as soon as they could understand. It’s not like I told them, it was easy to see when I made a mistake or lost my temper and when I’d apologize to them. Why would I want them to think I’m a super human? I wanted them to know that I’m a person and that there’s only one perfect being – God.
Love this conversation because my parents made me believe they were perfect and a lot of had to do with secrets, which are so damaging.
I think a lot about this, not the Bible part, but how to share my foibles with my kids. I already apologize to them when I yell or swear and let them know that I shouldn’t do those things. I think it’s important that our kids know it is okay to make mistakes.
Have to say the Bible part stresses me out. If any thing I want them to believe because they truly do and not because “I” do, you know? #lifeistough