"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." Psalms 119:28 (NIV 1984)

Thud! I heard my son's feet hit the dirt outside his bedroom window. My heart sank. I had been right when I told my husband, "He's going to run away. Watch."

The whole afternoon and evening had spun into a disaster. My adolescent son had gotten into trouble. We were in the middle of discussing it with him when the phone rang. My husband listened as his ex-wife told him that their daughter had run away that afternoon. I watched the panic cross my husband's face as he dug for more details about what had happened.

In addition, I spied my son's alert face and witnessed a light bulb go off in his adolescent brain. I could tell he thought, "I'm going to run away too!" We sent my son to his room while we managed the bigger problem of the moment-my stepdaughter.

Sure enough, he went on the run. My thoughts raced. Should I go after him? Or should I wait and search for him later? I felt emotionally and physically exhausted.

Both my husband and I were stricken with confusion and sadness as we battled through all the drama and trauma in our family. That evening we despaired. How could this have happened? We tried to be good parents. It seemed that with three teenagers, life was a never-ending crisis.

Things did turn out okay. My stepdaughter returned home to her mother. We found my son, and my husband coaxed him home. Everyone went to bed, and two exhausted parents desperately prayed for a better tomorrow.

That was several years ago. Children matured. Time healed. And God was faithful to the prayers of those two despairing parents.

He feels our heartaches. He sees our tears. He grants us the courage and guts to keep on parenting.

Our key verse today acknowledges the pain we may experience, but it also points the way to gaining strength-God's Word. If you are a despairing parent, seek the Lord's comfort, wisdom and strength by reading and praying Scripture each day. It sustained my husband and me through many trials and tears.

God is our source of strength when we're weary with sorrow and come to our wit's end in the life-long career of parenting.

Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of my children. I am honored You set me apart to be their mom. Yet, at times parenting is hard! I ask You for guidance and strength. Remind me of the joys of parenting when I despair. Help me keep a balanced outlook. I ask You to provide me with special Scripture that I can pray for my children. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

***

Related Resources:

Divine Prayers for Despairing Parents by Susanne Scheppman

Am I Messing Up My Kids by Lysa TerKeurst

Visit our Everyday Life web page for encouragement on parenting and so much more!

Reflect and Respond:

Where do you place your trust and hope when it comes to your child? Do you recognize that Jesus loves them more than you?

Read and memorize Psalm 4:3 and 5:3. Then pray for your children, and know that the Lord hears you call to Him. Wait in expectation for His guidance.

Power Verses:

Psalms 147:3, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." (NIV 1984)

Isaiah 49:25, "But this is what the Lord says: 'Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.'" (NIV 1984)

© 2012 by Susanne Scheppmann. All rights reserved.