Honor your Father and Mother

Expectations met! Yesterday was great with my family. We had a wonderful day together. Mostly, I did not wear my emotions on my sleeve and I was not judgemental about everyone. I thank God for giving me the wonderful family that I have, I do not deserve any of them.

The lesson yesterday was taken from Ephesians 6:1-4.
"Children obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. "Honor your father and mother." This is the first of the Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: If you honor your father and mother, "you will live a long life, full of blessing." And now a word to you fathers. Don't make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord."

How I needed this lesson, not only as a parent, but as a child as well. How easy it is to forget that we, as adults, are still children as well. Just because we have our own family and our own responsibilities does not mean that we have stopped being our parents children. "Honor your father and mother," this does not stop with adulthood. We have an insight on our parents, because we understand their family dynamics. Something happens when you become an adult that can lead to a disrespectful approach to your parents. Instead of obeying all of their instruction you are now trying to give instruction. Which, on one hand, I think that the parents of grown children would do well to listen to their children's insight on the way they live and react with others. Who better sees you than the people that you have raised. Your children have watched how you treat your spouse. They have seen where you spend your money. They do have an inside look at your life.

But, adult children do not dishonor your parents. Something happens to us, that we loose, when we get into the counselor/leader roll as adult children. I have seen it time and time again; whether it is in dealing with an aged parent, who is at the end of their life here with us, my husband in his dealings with his father as my husband takes the lead in the business, or my relationship with my parents and being a "marriage counselor." There is a constant line that we must walk, because they are our parents. "Honor your father and mother" does not stop with children. You will be their child as long as you live, not as long as they live.

I am so thankful for the name that my father gave me. As a rebellious child, I brought dishonor to his name, but his name was strong enough to take the hit. I must remember that I am still my father's child, even though I have a new last name, I still have his name upon me. As adults we can still bring honor to our fathers by the way we live. Or as adults we can ruin a name they built with their entire life, by the way we conduct our lives, now. I am proud of the name the men in my life have given me. My father and my husband are honorable men that have given me an honorable name. My Lord has given me a name that erases all of my mistakes. It is my responsibility to cherish the names that I have been blessed with, and bring the ones that have shared their names with me, honor and respect.