Choosing Our Battles:

Our youngest son loves to wear his socks inside out.

They are comfier.

The seams don’t bug him.

And it drives me crazy!!

This is not one of those battles that I choose to fight. Whether it is socially correct or not, this guy will be allowed to wear his socks inside out. Really, it is not that important.

So why does it bug me so much?

Parenting is hard. 

Parenting multiple generations at a time is incredibly hard!

There are so many days that I choose to die on mountains like this. “Turn your socks right side out!”

We are raising five future men. 

They vary in age from the nine year old foot above to the twenty-two year old working quietly across the table from me as I write this.

Parenting is hard. There are battles worth fighting: you will be kind, you cannot lie, you need to make your bed, you will love to read, etc.

I think I over-complicate parenting by engaging in battles over the trivial, non-eternal, ridiculous expectations that my brain creates at night while I sleep in a rose colored world.

I think:

my boys will not fart allowed

my boys will not have belching contests

my boys will wear their clothes properly, especially in public

my boys will help the elderly couple load their groceries without being told

my boys will choose hairstyles that I adore

my boys will accept my motherly wisdom without rolling their eyes

my boys will bend toward my will for their lives…

oops.

Maybe I see a problem. “My will for their lives”. 

I am not saying that I shouldn’t expect them to have manners and wear clothes, I am saying I should allow them to seek after the Lord and live their lives according to HIS will… Even if that mean they wear their socks inside out.

Dear mama, choose your battles with your kids… there will be so many to choose from. Choose to let the “socks” go and concentrate on the issues that are eternal and life impacting.

I need to pray for my kids, love them, and lead them. But I also need to let them be themselves.

God is able to work them all out.

I need to not neglect my duty as care-giver, teacher, mentor, tutor, mommy, guide, and prayer warrior. But…

I really need to let somethings go…

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