Brown Sugar Turns Three

Yesterday Brown Sugar turned three years old.  

Three year olds are so much fun...they are all about exploring and learning.  They love pretending and they work as if they are playing.

Brown Sugar is a typical three year old...enjoying life to its fullest.

She is also a lot of work right now.  Her will is demanding its way regularly.  And, if she doesn't get her way it is usually followed by arching of the back, whining, 

and other horrible acts of rebellion.   

Thankfully, she has a momma that loves her sooooooo much that she will not let little Brown Sugar get away with anything.  This covenant child is being reminded by the minute that her will must succeed to her mother's.  

I take parenting seriously.  I am not just raising kids.  I am called to this position to raise godly kids.  The thought of doing this on my own makes me utterly exhausted but by God's grace I do not feel as exhausted as I think I should be.  

Yep, it is hard.  I have six completely different individuals that I am trying to take time for, nurture, and disciple on their very different paths.  

I do have my moments of tears as I get frustrated 

with having to do this all by myself....oh, wait a minute!  Actually, I am not doing it all by myself.  See, that is what gets me into trouble.  When I think that I am doing it alone I find myself getting overwhelmed.  But, Sunday afternoon proved to me once again that this is not a journey that I take alone.  As we were sitting on the back porch at a friend's home I was blessed by having all these wonderful community believers back me up.  They would chime in when they did not hear a "yes mom".  They had no problem looking Brown Sugar in the eye and tell her to obey her mommy.  They had no problem encouraging Goose to be diligent in his education.  And, I believe that they will have no problem holding my kids accountable or even letting me help them in their parenting.  As one of the dad's said to me later

  "I don’t know if I’d say that parenting “takes a village” but a covenant community vowed to support one another is a truly wonderful asset."

Another gentleman that was at the fellowship time that afternoon spoke words of wisdom.  He said that, in his life, he sometimes sees things with blinders on.  He has surrounded himself with two men that he trusts to be his side mirrors (like on a car).  They help him see where he might be missing something or where he might need to be corrected.  

I have been put in some awkward positions in the past six months where I am having to make a decision that I feel I am not altogether able to make on my own.  Having my church community there to be those side mirrors is one of the greatest gifts that Eric left me with.  

As I rocked Brown Sugar to sleep last night I was thinking through all of this.  Tears rolled down my face as I realized that Brown Sugar will never know the daddy that brought her to this country and into our home.  And, I surely do not understand why God thinks that it is better for her to be raised by a single mom then by a mom and a dad.  But, when all is said and done I just have to keep "plugging along" , being consistent in my loving and training up of this little one (and the other five), and accepting the help I get from my dear friends.  

~Lazyd