Follow Me!

Have you seen the footage of the Chilean miners being rescued? Oh my goodness, I wept. The story is incredible. It is so amazing that after 69-70 days these men are seeing the light of day and feeling the warmth of their loved one's hugs. I was struck by the obvious camaraderie and closeness that has been brought on through these circumstances. Seriously--they fought over not who would be first but rather who would be last to get out. WOW! And even after their own loved ones were lifted out of the mine, the families are sticking around for the next one and the next one and the next one to emerge. I was also struck by the commitment of the shift supervisor to be the last one out. He was their leader prior to the mine collapse, but he stepped it up and led them to survive this ordeal. It makes me consider my leadership and whether or not I lead well in times of crisis and stress. Leading other people is hard, even in great circumstances, but a great leader really shines when the pressure is on.

Parenting is HARD. I know, I am not the first person to realize this nor the last. In fact, from the moment my first child took his first breath, I knew that life would be filled with challenges. Parenting shows us just how selfish we are, it makes our own personal struggles glaringly obvious. And I know that as the kids get older and the more influences they have on and in their lives the job will continue to get more and more difficult. But sometimes I just want to scream and say "enough already." Some days it feels like one step forward and three steps back. It's HARD! However, the reality is that without the struggle and the challenges it would be very difficult to see the rewards. When your child finally understands the point of the discipline for the same issue for the 100th time it is such an amazing feeling when they get that it is not just to obey but the need to obey. But no matter how hard it is or gets, I LOVE my kids with a love that is so big. I know they don't get it, but maybe some day when they have their own children they will. (Though quite honestly, I am praying that Jesus comes back before then.)

As we have been dealing with some parenting struggles, God has given me perspective into His parenting struggles. You see, I know I am not a perfect child. (Just ask my mom and dad. And yes, I have apologized to them for my childhood behaviors. My own kids did a great job of pointing out the reality of "what goes around, comes around.") But as a child of God, He is the perfect parent and yet His children (ME) are far from it; so why would I expect that out of my imperfect parenting that my children would be perfect? And yet if I am completely honest, that is what I expect. Crazy, huh? And even crazier is the fact that God's love for me and for my children far exceeds what I can even comprehend. Yet just like me, I am sure there are days when He cries in frustration when His child(ren) just don't get it. I need to do a better job of asking God for parenting help, and not just that He fix my kids but rather asking Him to fix me. As only the Perfect Parent can, His advice and molding will create a better result than anything else I attempt or try on my own.

Parenting and Leadership...
I was reminded this morning that Jesus is the perfect example and His leadership command was/is simple: "Follow Me!" First, I need to do just that. I need to drop my "nets" immediately and follow Him. No questions asked, no discussion about why, no "just a minute"; I just need to obey. Then once I am following I need to lead by example. When I lead my volunteers, they need to see me loving and caring for others needs, so that they know what is important. When I parent (lead) my children, I need to remember that if I don't want them to do something, I need to be sure that I am leading them by example to do it another way. As a leader and even more so as a parent, I am being watched. My volunteers and my kids, while they have to be responsible for themselves on many levels, are ultimately a product of what I have demonstrated. That is a weighty responsibility and if I get completely honest with myself it's often a place in my life where I let things slide. I figure my title as "mom" is enough to get obedience out of my kids. My example to them is a better way to ensure they are truly following my lead. Same goes for my role as a leader in ministry. I better not use my title to get results. True results come from being led by example.

Christ taught His disciples by His example. He loved others. He cared for the "least of these". He taught them to pray by doing it. Even His death was an example to them. We all have areas of influence in our lives. What kind of influence are you having?