Tough Lovin'



Annnnnd it's been a minute...

I know.

Forgive me for having six kids living at home and allowing them to have a life OUTSIDE of my own. ;)

Blogging has taken a backseat to life these days.

Until the other day.

Lemme just tell you.

Watching your kids live their lives and watching their sibling squabbles and giggles can really slap you in the face with some pretty blinding "light bulb" moments.

Like this one, for instance:

Nacho and Lily were playing in the floor.

FIRST, you need to understand that Nacho loves his sister...like luuuuuuuvs her...like...really really...really..........really loves his sister.

So much so that she will scream at him to get off her. (She gets it honest)

That being said, I was watching this moment in time as my 4 year old went from playing with his 1 year old sister to LOVING his 1 year old sister...with her 1 year old 'tude with a capital T...and her 1 year old backhand across the face.  He was trying so hard to express his love for her and she was over it.

The thing is, at first, she was loving it. I mean, who doesn't love a random show of affection sometimes?

Where the altercation began is when he refused to let her go.

He was loving and she was fighting...and the harder he loved and squeezed, the harder she fought and the louder she screamed.

And it all could've been solved if he would've just. let. her. go.

Kinda reminded me of the older generation and the younger generation.

Love is nice...until it begins to restrict.

Its good for a while, but then when the young are ready to move on and do their own thing, the older squeeze tighter...not wanting to let them go.

The more they try to pull away, the harder the older generation squeezes...and here is the fight that we are in today.

There comes a time when we need to just. let. them. go.

You know, when Nacho just gives Lily a quick hug...she's more likely to come back to him minutes later with a great big, tackle-you-to-the-ground, open-mouthed, slobbery kiss...its delightful to see it, haha.

But when he clamps down and tries to force her to bend to his will, she smacks him..hard..most of the time with what ever toy she has in her hand and he ends up crying (because it HURT) and she avoids him for hours...sometimes the whole day.

You know, when we just give them what they need...love, understanding, direction, purpose, passion.. They come back with a delightful, contagious passion for the deep things of God and a destiny fulfilled.

But when we clamp down and try to force them into our preconceived molds and expectations...they will strike out at us and it hurts and then they avoid us...AND our God..sometimes for a season, and sometimes for the rest of their lives.

Crazy how my brain works these days.

I love how I am becoming the student more and more, as I watch the lives of my children...pretty stinkin cool and...humbling.