Last weekend, I took my daughter and her friend to Boone Ledges to enjoy the beautiful early fall day. They walked the cool waters of the creek beds, squealing when the minnows would swim between their toes.
Mid-afternoon, I suggested a hike through the ledges. The girls were troopers and didn't even complain when it ended up being longer than any of us had anticipated.
That's not always been the case in our family, though.
In fact, we've been on MANY hiking trips over the years where Natalie's pitifully slow pace and groans of "I can't do this" or "this is boring" were very frustrating & painful as a parent. Here I'm out trying to get away to relish some peace and quiet while encompassed with God's beautiful creation and she complains the whole time. (And trust me, I wasn't over-extending her.)
Ever heard the quote - "The thing is not always the thing."? While I can understand that hiking may not be a hobby that Natalie enjoys as much as I, what we were really coming up against was a deeper attitude and behaviors that I knew would always hold her back in life if she didn't learn how to press through. In fact, I was seeing the same challenge in many other areas of her life as well. For me, it was a reminder of what real parenting takes, a lot of grace, wisdom, and patience.
And trust me, it was painful for both her and me. We BOTH learned how to discipline our tongues, see the 'goal is worth the effort', and how to endure what's hard. Two different levels, but we both were growing.
All great accomplishments, goals, and growth in our lives come because we've learned how to endure pain. I'm so glad I stuck with it and kept leading & training myself and my daughter "in the way we should go", as Proverbs 22:6 instructs us.
It has laid a foundation of vision, perseverance, and accomplishments for both of us that we can draw from as we both continue to face more significant life challenges in the years ahead. And we're enjoying the "gain" of that pain as we have reached the place where we can laugh, encourage each other's quirks, and stop to take funny pictures - - - experiencing lots of fun right in the middle of our hiking adventures.
Parents, teachers, friends - don't be afraid of enduring the pain and allowing your kids feel an age-appropriate amount of growth pain in their lives. It is the training ground for great gain in all the areas of our lives.
Where are you painfully growing today?
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