Remember the Ab Contour? You know… the magical device that would electrically stimulate your abs into “Six Pack” condition? Yep. I bought one.
I’m almost embarrassed to admit it, but I know I’m not alone. From the many, many knock-off devices that came afterward, I’m guessing that it became 
a big-time money maker. Because of me, someone, somewhere is sitting on luxurious beach in the Caribbean, sipping pina-coladas, and enjoying the sun, all the while thinking… “I actually got people to spend money on that thing.”
How did I get suckered in? It was the promise of “easy” that got me. All I would have to do is strap this thing around my abs, and lay back, watch TV, and have this ‘SuperBelt’ do all the work. It was such an attractive offer, I simply couldn’t refuse…
And it didn’t work. (As anyone who has seen my abs can attest).
Truth is, we are constantly being bombarded by things that are promising “Bigger, Better, Easier”… and not everything is actually what it claims. Rarely ever does easier equate to better.
As Parents, there are about a thousand products out there that claim to make parenting a snap… a piece of cake… easy. Books, videos, aids, blogs… millions are being made on the promise of easy parenting… and it’s a trap. A total lie. Parenting isn’t easy… and if it is… you’re probably doing it wrong.
Don’t get sucked in by some frilly blog, by some stay at home mom, who claims to have figured it all out. Despite her professional profile picture and the cute, smiling pictures of her kids, she probably isn’t giving you the whole truth. She probably isn’t telling you about the times she loses control, screams in anger, gives in to whining, threatens to give up, hides from her kids in the bathroom, cries in her closet, has two days of dishes in the sink, and vents all over her friends at the coffeeshop while her kids run laps around the coffeeshop (I’m watching this happen as I write…ugh). She might get lots of clicks from that post “3 Steps to Happy Kids”, but she is probably preying on desperate parents, wanting an easy answer to their parenting problems.
Look. If you are a parent, I hate to break it to you. Parenting is not easy. It’s not going to be easy and it shouldn’t be easy. Parenting requires sacrifice, selflessness, discipline, patience, and about 1,000 other things… all of which are hard. Really hard.
Parenting should constantly thrust you into the arms of God, pressing you to cry out for His help in it all. In fact, I personally believe this is why God invites us to be parents ourselves. It’s on this journey that we discover the truth about ourselves, catch a glimpse into the heart of God, and get to experience what real love looks like. It might be hard, but that’s the very reason it is so rewarding! Press into it!
CHURCH NOTE: If you’re a part of our Church
Series Starts July 3!
(Harvest Springs), we are going to be launching an entire series about the traps that parents often get caught up by on our journey. This series, “The Parent Trap” will start Sunday, July 3rd and run through the month of July. My prayer is that this series will give you some healthy perspective, some valuable encouragement, and some Biblical guidance to navigate the many traps that are out there are on the Parenting Path. You won’t want to miss it!
HarvestInsider 