Lifelong blessings

 

Today, and every day of my life, I am thankful for my parents, Tommy and Jill.  I could easily write a year worth of posts as to why they are so amazing, but I feel like they probably wouldn't want that. 

 

Over the last few years, I have noticed many different parenting styles, and many different parenting beliefs and personailities, and I gotta say...the Lord was too good to me.  Every good thing about me and every good thing I've ever learned came from their ACTIONS.  It is sad to see parents who raise their kids a certain way, and then when presented with an opportunity to show that they practice what they preach, they totally fail.  This is not the case with my parents.  I would say most often they didn't even have to preach.  I just saw it.  Daily.

 

I can honestly say in all my 24 years of activities (gymnastics, volleyball, piano, basketball, track, cheerleading, half marathons, marathon) that involve countless meets/games/recitals/races/tournaments, I can count on one hand the number that they have missed.  One hand, people.  I realize this (showing your child constant support) is just a teeny, tiny part of being a parent in the grand scheme of things, but I can promise you it makes a huge difference on the child.

 

What about giving?  If you spend your hard earned money on your kid because your true desire is to make them happy, will that turn your child into a spoiled brat?  Maybe.  But if you have given with a Christ-like, selfless attitude in a great way, you're kids will notice.  And maybe not right away, but someday, they will realize the love and sacrifice that their parents have poured out over the years, and feel nothing but undeserving gratitude.  They'll realize that activities, cars, clothes, Christmases, birthdays, experiences, world travels, COLLEGE, weddings, moves across the country and "just because we love you"s (to name a small few) aren't free, but in fact are the fruits of the immense and selfless love of Godly parenting.

 

Another trait that my parents put into practice that I will be forever thankful for is forgiveness.  Not just any kind of forgiveness, but that insane Christ-like forgiveness that the world says is ridiculous.  I've seen my parents be taken advantage of, treated rudely, and literally robbed.  They didn't put those who had wronged them on a "bad list".  They forgave them and moved on.  It is a forgiveness that is hard to even comprehend.

 

I really could go on and on.  But I end with this:

 

I pray every day to be like these two people. 

I pray that I am Christ to other people just like they are to me.

Thank you, God, for my dad and mom!