what you do know

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After spending every day for two weeks with my nieces and nephew I felt confident in delivering a sermon on Sunday about how parenting is a lot like preaching. These are the main points:

In both parenting and preaching...
  1. I have no idea what I am doing 90 percent of the time. 
  2. I learn more than I could ever teach.
  3. I have to pray constantly that I won't completely screw up, and hope that others will have mercy when I inevitably do. 
  4. It isn't my job to always do everything for the kids or the congregation, but to encourage them to be and do and wrestle and grow and learn independent of me.
  5. I don't have all the answers. Not even close. Not even a little bit. (And that's okay.) 
At a glance you might think this list proves I shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a pulpit, let alone a McDonald's Playland. But here's the thing... Despite not knowing what I am doing (that we are clear on!), what I do know is this: (1) I am called to be a spiritual momma to all the nieces and nephews the Universe will grant me, and (2) everything in my imperfect life has led me here, to speak about Jesus on Sunday mornings, to anyone who will listen. And that's far more important than anything I don't know.

EMBRACE WHAT YOU DO KNOW.

Instead of worrying about what we don't know (which is a lot!), I, for one, am in favor of embracing what we do know and doing just that!


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