If you were as blessed as I was, you grew up surrounded by the steady, unmistakable love of your parents. That love didn’t always look soft or poetic—it showed up in the details of life. It came through their commitment to your physical and emotional needs. It came in the gentle push that motivated you, and in the firm foot down when they could see danger ahead long before you could. It showed up in the disagreements that felt uncomfortable to a child’s ears, and in the quiet, behind-the-scenes prayers whispered at your bedside.
“Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” — Proverbs 22:6
Much like God, parents love us according to our needs, not our wants. My parents were responsible for my future, so their decisions didn’t always match what I wanted to hear. And isn’t that how we often approach God?
“Just fix this… make it easier… do it my way.”
But God—like a loving parent insisting a toddler wear a jacket in the cold—will sometimes wrestle with us to protect us.
“For the Lord disciplines those He loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.” — Proverbs 3:12
We may complain, resist, or misunderstand, but His guidance is always rooted in a wisdom we can’t yet see.
The older I get, the more I realize our parents are often the first messengers of God’s will. Their choices weren’t random; they were anchored in love and in the long view—what was best for the future, not just the moment.
“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise.” — Ephesians 6:2
God is the same way. His love isn’t cheap or merely spoken—it is lived, active, and always aligned with a bigger picture.
“For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future.” — Jeremiah 29:11
Now, as a parent myself, I feel that truth deeply. I try to guide my daughters down the right road, even when my words are not music to their ears. I am willing to argue, challenge, and risk being misunderstood if it keeps them from harm. Parenting doesn't come with a manual—just an overflowing love that never turns off.
We worry, we pray, we hope… and even when our children don’t see it, our love is always there.
“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” — 1 Corinthians 13:7
To my girls: I am not perfect. God is. His will is the foundation we stand on. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t make a fuss at all—and that would be the greatest tragedy.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. He lowered Himself to save us from ourselves.
“God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” — Romans 5:8
And in a small, imperfect way, that is the heart of parenting—we step into the fight because we love someone more than we love our own comfort.
