When We Hurt For Our Children

Parenting is hard. It's hard and sometimes ugly. You don't get an owner's manual when you have a child. There are no "do this and your kid will respond this way" instructions. Oh there are plenty of parent help books. And Lord knows you get oodles of advice from everyone around you--whether they have kids of their own or not. The problem is, children are not made from cookie cutters. They have thoughts, feelings, experiences, struggles that are unique to them. No one else has been exactly where they are. So you're on your own, essentially, trying to weed your way through all of the advice and the experience of others. You try a million different things for your given situation, hoping and praying that something, anything will stick. That somehow you'll come out on the other side a little wiser, with a child who's issue has been resolved, both of you no worse for the wear.

Our oldest is struggling. He has the normal 13 year old issues--kids at school picking on him, trying to figure out who he is, not a child yet not quite an adult, trying to fit in and stand out all at the same time, hormonal changes. And to top it all off, he's the oldest. So he's trying to navigate all of this while WE try to navigate all of this, for the first time, with our first born.

My heart hurts for him. He is such an amazing kid. He's kind, helpful, outgoing, creative, structured, precise, loving, and giving. He's an awesome big brother, most of the time. He has great ideas and a huge heart and I love him more than words can begin to describe. So my heart hurts for him when I see him going through the exact same things I did at 13. He can't see past the here and now. He can't fully understand that it's okay to be yourself and that it doesn't matter AT ALL what other people think or say. He doesn't yet have the self-confidence to stand on his own two feet against the world, even on the small scale of middle school. I can't fight this battle for him. We are no longer at a point where Mommy can rush in, scoop him up, kiss his boo-boos and make it all better.

So instead I get to love him, encourage him, be patient with him. Even as he lashes out in anger and frustration at me, his dad, his siblings--I have to extend grace, knowing that it comes from a deeper place, a hurting place. It comes from growing up.

I am so amazed at the young man he is becoming. He's so thoughtful, so willing to give of himself. He's incredibly smart and already stands taller than me. He's no longer a child, but he will always be my baby, the child who made me a mom for the first time. So I do all that I can do myself. Then I turn to the One who loves my son more than I could ever comprehend, the One who can help him, heal him and make him whole. My Jesus. And I trust Him to do the things I cannot do myself. I trust Him with my son.

I believe when we hurt for our children, we are, quite possibly, as close as we could be to understanding the love of God. We are His children, after all. He loves us so much more than we realize, He hurts so much deeper as He watches us struggle. He sees our pain, our doubts, our fears, our failure. Yet He allows us to learn, to grow, to become the men and women He created us to be through these experiences--all the while loving, guiding, encouraging us and being patient with us. He extends His grace, because He knows that our sinful nature thrives on the hurt found deep within us. And He patiently waits, comforting us in our struggles, until the day we turn to Him, trust Him, and allow Him to heal us and make us whole.

Just some food for thought.

Homemade Taco Seasoning

I've been waiting to share this recipe for months now. As I've said before, I only want to pass along recipes, routines, and ideas that I've personally tried and found to be better than the norm. This recipe is simply amazing. My husband noticed immediately the first time I used it and absolutely loved it. My kids didn't notice specifically what had changed, but ALL of them commented on how good dinner was that night. I think that alone makes this praiseworthy! LOL

This recipe makes enough seasoning for 1 POUND of meat. If you were to make it in multiple so as to have it on hand, it will take either a little more measuring (to figure out how much to pull out of a bulk batch for each time) OR you could put it in individual baggies to store for later use. Personally, since it only takes a few minutes to make, I just make it while the hamburger/ground turkey browns. As I usually buy my ground turkey in bulk, I most often brown all of it at once, doubling or tripling the seasoning recipe and then saving the leftover taco meat, freezing it for later use. It's a great, easy way to have some on hand for a quick meal in the future!


Homemade Taco Seasoning:

1 T. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t/ crushed red pepper
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

Mix together well. Add to already browned meat. Then add 1/3 c of water, stir, and let simmer for a few minutes! Super easy.

We have found this to be a truly yummy recipe, one that is not too spicy and not too bland. Plus, it has no preservatives or other additives--just seasoning, just good for you! I hope you love it as much as we do!

Enjoy!