Sharpening arrows, keeping the bow strong.

Being a parent is hard!
I wish someone had told me how hard it would be. It's just amazing that one day,that baby that you were cuddling through the long, dreary nights would grow up and test, test, test your last nerve.
That's thier job, I guess.
And the ache you felt when they couldn't sleep, or scraped a knee, would change from that to an ache you feel deep in your heart when they disobey. When they lie, or when they sneak something. That ache comes from having to punish them, to give them consequences that match the actions. You know you have to do it. You know that in order to raise this child to be the father, husband, and man of God you want him to be, it has to be done. You know it's not going to really kill him, but to him it feels like it. And because of that, it will kill you. It's so much easier to look away, to pretend like you didn't see. It's so much easier to keep EVERYONE involved happy.
But we do it. Because we love them. Because too, that in order for them to be happy in the future, you must correct it now. Better to be a little unhappy now, then to not teach and correct which will lead to bigger problems later.

So we trudge on. We sharpen our arrows and reinforce our bows so that we can launch them into the future sharp and ready for what will come their way when we aren't able to kiss their boo-boos anymmore.