Parental Influence

Parents are the single greatest influence on a child's life. This doesn't negate the necessity and impact of other relatives and leaders, but it puts the heaviest weight on the shoulders of mothers and fathers. This can obviously be a positive or negative influence and will often include moments and interactions that we (as parents) aren't even aware of. I've seen the after-effects of good and poor parenting in adults and the youth & children I've been blessed to interact with. No matter how we might try to explain it, our lives have been shaped by our parents.

When we are cognizant of our own responsibility it can be somewhat burdensome--not because we don't want to do the right thing, but because we're often afraid of doing the wrong thing. As my own children get older I find that my anxiety level increases as I reflect on my mistakes in parenting and realize how short my time is to correct my errors. As my wife & I continue to pray for wisdom and discernment for our girls we also realize that there is no way for us to be perfect as parents. We will do the best we can with God's guidance and (most importantly) grace. We will keep doing what we can to show them Christ and help them take the next step to move closer to Him. It certainly increases our reliance on God's strength and constantly reminds us that success will only be found through Him.