HAVE YOU TRIMMED YOUR SAILS TODAY?

I was encouraged to continue blogging on the weekend by a beautiful Mum at our church. My previous blog on NOAH's Ark really touched her and was what she needed to read at that particular time. So this next blog is dedicated to the Mum's with growing teenagers. Dad's don't worry your blog is coming soon - so just watch this space.

While I was spending some quiet time updating one of my social network pages thoughts for this blog came rushing in. Yes I know my last blog was about a boat with no rudder, no sails and no engines - but it’s time to talk about the boats with sails, engines and rudder. So make yourself a cup of your favourite hot cuppa, sit back and relax.

I have mentioned before how many children Hans I have been blessed with, but for those who do not know here is a quick update. We have four beautiful, unique and amazing children - Mayella soon to be 23 who I describe as a selfless person with a servants heart and gifted musically, Samuel 19 is the one with a generous and caring heart, Jonathan who is 18 in September is our gentle giant and our armour bearer with a defenders heart soon to leave home in November for the Airforce, and Miseron soon to be 7 our thinker with a heart that just loves to worship and pray. Our little man Miseron watches ABC23 cartoons in the morning on mute while listening to 'Your Presences Is Heaven To Me'.

Now Mums my children are not perfect and yes we do have heated debates and discussions about keeping rooms clean, picking up toys, reasons why long showers equals big water and electricity bills, not eating all of the dinner at once because there is still 3 other hungry mouths still to be fed, and questioning why son saves his phone credits by using Mum's phone to call girlfriend in Townsville to say good night.

But in listing the many things my Children and I have debate over, the one thing I must acknowledge and am so grateful of is my children know they can come to Mum and Dad for advice and counselling when they have been hurt, rejected, wrongly accused, looking for reassurance, prayer and what to do when they have made the wrong decision.

Ever so grateful they feel safe to come to us knowing there is no condemnation or criticism - its hard but we have to learn to refrain as much as we want to say "I told you so".

Here is the gem to this little blog, Mums I have learnt in the last 23 years that bringing up children is like adjusting the sails on a boat.

A few years ago I worked with an agency that provided personal development training for long term unemployed people through sailing. I have always loved the sea, but learning to sail the seas was something totally different - it made me appreciate little things we often took for granted and that is the wind and ocean currents.

With everything that I experienced the two things that stayed with me was how to sail downwind and how to sail directly upwind.

As we sailed downwind, the wind blew into the sails and pushed against them causing our vessel to go faster, whilst we continue trimming our sails and boat direction to capture the wind. When I saw this for the first time, the skipper explained that wind is faster than the boat so the air is slowed down by the sails. Sails are pushed backwards against the wind resulting in the wind pushing forward on the sails. Similar thing occur when you ride a bicycle downwind - the wind is blowing against your back and pushes you in the direction it is going.

Sailing upwind is totally the opposite. Short and long of this is you’re left with a boat with flapping sails and basically you don't go anywhere. When this happens you better make sure your sail boat has an engine, if not you will be rowing like the owl and the puddy cat that went sea in beautiful pea-green boat.

Mums at times we need to be both the wind and sails, and yes the engine in our family with Lords help. Our children will make decisions causing their boats to sail upwind. We have experienced some 'sailing upwind' moments with our 3 older children, and still do but they are learning how to trim their sails on their own. As parents we have learnt to read the wind and have helped them start their engines to get them pointing in a downwind direction.

The most rewarding moments for us as parents is when we began to see a positive shift in the right downwind direction of our children's sails. It is going to take some effort and team work but you will get there.

Have you learnt to trim your sails today?

#youth #children #presence #boats #sails #trimmingsails