Photo cred. Steven Van Elk on Unsplash
Does your child’s life look like an impossible mess this Christmas season?
Sometimes parents need a Christmas miracle or a star in the heavens to lead the way to God’s glorious provision.
Are your children so entangled in addictive behaviors and destructive relationships that you think there’s no way out? Is their mental illness or the issues they have allowed to divide you become so overwhelming that there appears to be no solution?
Sometimes parents need a Christmas miracle.
Are they a wreck dealing with jail sentences, gender identity issues, or pornography that they’re stuck tight in bondage?
Sometimes what you both need is a Christmas miracle.
My friend, if all you can see are impossibilities – in their lives and in yours – then you need a Christmas miracle.
“… Into the middle of impossible messes — comes the Messiah who makes the miracles possible.” – Ann Voskamp
Maybe the Miracle is in You?
Jesus, the promised Messiah, comes right up to us in the middle of our broken, dysfunctional, dirty world. He comes, no matter how messed up our lives are. Our problems don’t scare Him away. Nothing can make us an outcast in His eyes. He won’t shun or reject the weak. With Jesus anything is possible. No one is too far gone. He can even do that miracle you’ve been praying for; the one you’ve almost given up on. Yes that one.
Consider the possibly that the miracle you truly need is the one God wants to do in you. (Not that He can’t or won’t do one for your child.) If He can take an ugly caterpillar trapped in a cocoon and bring out of it a breathtakingly beautiful butterfly, then He can do the impossible in anyone’s life.
My daughter Renee loves butterflies. One year, for a special birthday outing, she went to an indoor butterfly garden (that’s her in the photo). While there, this gorgeous Morphos butterfly landed on her, opened its wings, and remained there. Astonished, the staff told her this was rare. Tears of joy rolled off my cheeks when Renee sent me this photo. For me, the butterfly symbolized how much God had done in her life, bringing her out of a mess of brokenness and shame, giving her a new life … and me too.
Morphos means change. My daughter has changed a lot over the past eighteen years … so have I.
She is an example of what God can do … so am I.
Today your child might be stuck in a dark place, in serious need of major changes. They may be in a big mess, full of guilt and shame they can’t pry themselves out of – maybe you are too.
Think of the possibilities.
With God they’re unlimited.
We’ll keep on waiting, Lord. We desperately need a Christmas miracle.
I’m reminded of the words of an old Advent hymn, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel…”
Listen here to a beautiful recording of the hymn.
Let’s pray: O Father, please do a miracle in my child. Give me your strength for my weakness; relentless hope for my despair; and invincible joy for my sadness. Bring new life out of the shadow of death. Revive my faith that with you, both of us can rise above the mess. You can make something new out of my life. You can make miracles happen. They ARE possible – in me and in my child. In your mighty name I pray. Amen.
Hope from Bible: Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come and has redeemed his people . . . (He has come) to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace (Luke 1:68, 79, NIV).
Dear mom or dad, how can I pray for you this holiday season?
If you’ve had a Christmas miracle, please share in comments. We all need a big dose of hope!
Thank you for this reminder! I like the name of your website. I am a hurting mom. My first Christmas knowing my adult daughter is in a same sex relation ship….being a counselor to women myself it is true that there is safety in many counselors. So now I admit that hope and safety is needed. Miracles are needed!
Debbie, we’re so glad you like the name of our website! We prayed and asked God for direction when we chose it. May he bless and comfort you this first Christmas season as you hold this knowledge about your daughter in your heart. We know it’s a hurting, sad heart, but he understands. May you find the help and support you need from those God puts in your path – and may you get the miracle you’re praying for, in God’s perfect timing.
“We can’t escape pain; we can’t escape the essential nature of our lives. But we do have a choice. We can give in and relent, or we can fight, persevere, and create a life worth living, a noble life. Pain is a fact; our evaluation of it (and response to it) is a choice.” – Jacob Held
“I trust in God’s unfailing love forever and ever … in your name I will hope for your name is good…” (Ps. 52:8-9). Amen/
Warmly in Christ,
Dena
Tom and Dena,
Thank you for sharing your story, it is one I can relate to. The parent child dance is a difficult one especially when a child’s mental illness is in the mix. Christmas was cancelled this year (getting together with family part… but not the celebrating the birth of the Savior of the World part). I had a part to play in the canceling of the family gathering because I shared that I was frustrated by my daughter’s ongoing hurtful behavior. A friend shared with me that its okay that I’m not a perfect mom (one that is unable to hold her tongue when hurt at times) because I have a God that is perfect. Your post and my friend’s comment gave some rest for my soul. Thank you!
Merry Christmas and God Bless,
Tiffany
Thank you for your email Tiffany. I’m so glad your friend’s comment, combined with my blog post gave you some soul rest this Christmas. And I think you’re pretty awesome to give yoruself permission to cancel Christmas plans when you realized you needed to take care of yourself instead of letting your daughter treat you in an unkind way. And how wonderful you were still able to celebrate what the holiday is all about…Jesus’ birth. I hope your daughter’s behavior improves, but until then you can take care of you and that’s always wise. Happy New Year to you as you keep your daughter in God’s hands, letting him work where you cannot.
In Christ,
Dena
Finding this church-based support group is a miracle for me . Praying for healing both for me & my children .
I love how God connects us with what we need. We pray one of our online groups will be a blessing to you, Amelia. I’m praying right now for the healing of your children and for you–emotional, physical, mental and spiritual. God is Jehovah Rapha, the LORD who heals us.
“Because of the tender mercy of our God…the rising Sun (Jesus) will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness, to guide our feet into the path of peace” (Luke 1: 78=79 NIV).