Brokenness

You know what I am talking about. Your heart is aching and there seems to be nothing you can do about it. You have constant butterflies in your stomach and you try to stay focused on other things so that you are never alone with your thoughts.

I hate being in that place. Yet, as a father, it is a good place to be. I can certainly relate to my daughter when she says she feels empty and alone. I can respond with empathy to my son when he feels like his world is crumbling in on all sides.

I recently had an experience with God that has altered the way that I look at brokenness. As much as I would love to say that being broken is one of those things that I would eradicate if I had the chance, it is in that brokenness that I find God the Father.

To know that your child is suffering inside and there seems to be nothing you can do to help, is one of the many parts of parenting that I would like to do without. I want to be the hero in my child's life. I want to swoop in and save them from the evil that so prevails in today's culture, but I can't. I can not stop my babies from experiencing hurt and loneliness. However, God has a purpose in it all.

I have come to realize that my Father God allows me to hurt for my children so that I can feel what He feels in regards to us. I have spent many nights awake hurting for my cherished son and daughter. If I could suffer on their behalf so that they could simply enjoy being alive, I would. But that is not how it works.

Each of us must experience life on our own. It is a personal journey that is meant to bring us into worship of our God. To know that the Father has yearned for me as I yearn for my own children causes me to fall deeper in love with who He is.

Brokenness is not something that we are meant to experience alone. It is something that should bring us together. Out of brokenness and despair my family has grown. We look forward, together, for when we will all be made whole again. We all want to be full of life, purpose and joy.

I encourage you, be vulnerable with your kids. Make sure that you are being age appropriate, but vulnerable. Your kids need to know how much you long to have them full of peace, love and happiness. They need to know that they are not alone in their suffering as they grow from children into adults. They need to know they can always count on you to understand their needs and their longings. They want you to be a part of their lives.

So maybe being broken is not as bad as I had thought. If that is what it takes to understand God's love for His children then I am willing to go through it (hopefully I learn quickly).

Enjoy your children and be willing to walk with them when they are broken as the Father in heaven walks alongside of you.