Where Character Grows

I want my children to have character when they are grown - the kind that requires grit and guts and might set them apart if it comes down to it.   Yes, I want them to be able to stand alone if they must.   I'll hazard a guess that most parents want their children to be like this.  

It's a lovely thought.   But integrity of this kind costs something.   How I wish I could just give it to them, but I know I can't.    And that is where I stumble and waver at heart. Character doesn't come easy; it comes mostly through trials and tribulations.    Yes, "trial and tribulation" sounds Old Testament-y.   I doubt they'll face the threat of stoning or be carried off by foreign invaders.    No, there are lesser trials and these will be enough.  

Most likely, they will face the following things that will hurt:  being misjudged, being treated unfairly, not receiving credit when it's due, guilt, rejection, loneliness, subtle snobbery, blatant snobbery, discouragement, temptation, failure, disappointment, embarrassment, etc.   Basically, the universal stuff of life.   Some of it will come to them from forces outside of their control and inevitably some from their own choices.      

As a mom, it's is hard to accept that I cannot protect them from this type of pain.  But I can prepare them.   That's all I can do.   Pray and prepare.   I will do those things with all my heart.   Then my role will change and they will go out own their own.  

My hope is that they will have discernment and humility to push through these things. Courage to face pain head on when necessary.   How they navigate the real world is where their own character will grow.  

Perseverance, character, and hope.  Romans 5:3-4