You have that one child who for some odd reason can't stand you anymore.
You feel it in the way they talk and their actions
You stand there and look at them and wonder...what have I done to you that makes you hate us?
You try to talk with them while they shrug their shoulders and mumble nothing yet their stance is full of suppressed irritation making you feel as if you are in the wrong
A whole myriad of emotions goes through you from wanting to cry to wanting to slap them across their face to yell and say, "Who do you think you are? I gave BIRTH TO YOU! I provided THIS! I provided THAT! I tried my BEST! I brought you to SUNDAY SCHOOL! I brought you to YOUTH! and yet you stand here making me feel as if I am the worse parent in the world while I have always tried to protect you and support you."
You begin to start second guessing yourself and wonder about your parenting skill until a sense of calm washes over you with a gentle voice saying, "That's exactly what you did wrong, you have stood time and time again for your child when you should have let them fall to learn to rise up and stand on their own."
Your heart breaks...
You stare off in the distance and struggle with the inner turmoil of "If I let them fall on their own, what will happen? Will they resent us (but your child resents you already)? Will they die in their backslidden condition?"
God certainly knows what we (you) are going through. After all, we were wayward kids to Him once.
I don't know what to say at this point because I'm angry, offended, hurt, sad...
And through these emotions and struggles, my husband texted me,
"We'll get through this"
It's quite difficult, is it not, to truly stand by and allow our children to fall? We are not from a culture where we kick our children out at 18 nor were we raised with this mindset. Our children don't hate us but at times, we feel this way...quite possibly because we've raised them so well that it's quite shocking and hurtful when they do or say things out of character. To be quite honest, I think they act hateful because they are full of guilt yet aren't mature enough to admit it, let alone recognize it. ;)
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