By Shay Greenwood
No matter the season we are in, it can be hard being a parent, especially when your kids are in the __ stage. Fill in the blank with whatever parenting stage it is for you.
At every stage, there is a new me that God is tweaking and conforming to His image. I have found that when I’m willing to hear from Him, I can see clearly who He wants me to be for my children so that I can effectively point them to Him, rather than pointing them to me.
In the past, I thought it was important for me to keep learning and growing so that I could be the best version of myself. But God keeps showing me daily that life is not about me, but about Him and who He wants me to be for Him and His glory – even as a parent.
One of the greatest gifts from God is that He has used my children to reflect back to me who I really am. And no matter the parenting stage, the greatest gift I can give to them is to point them to the only One they will need to navigate this life successfully.
I needed to see Jesus from my parents.
My children need to see Jesus from me.
In every season, my children have helped me to look in the mirror and want to “put away my old self and its practices” (Colossians 3:9-10) and allow God to do something new in me.
I’ve learned that I need to surrender, be open, and be willing to hear from God. Every season presents its challenges. I have to ask myself: How often am I spending time with God about my children and my relationships with them?
Are you creating a list of books to read in 2025? The Bible is definitely the best resource on parenting. Here are a few other suggestions:
- The discipline years (0-5): “Family Driven Faith” by Voddie Bauchaum. This book helped us to set a standard and foundation for our family.
- The training years (5-12): “Shepherding a Child’s Heart” by Tedd Tripp. I wish I would have been better at shepherding my children’s hearts during this season. I was in survival mode while homeschooling four children during this time.
- The coaching years (12-18): “Raising Kingdom Kids” by Tony Evans. Who wouldn’t want to read everything by Tony Evans? All of his kids are amazing. Priscilla Shirer is one of them.
- The friendship years (adulting years): “Doing Life with Your Adult Children” by Jim Burns. This is one of the seasons that we are in right now, and we have been using it to navigate our new life being friends with our children. The subtitle of this book is the best: “Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out.”
Lord, help us! We need you in every single stage to be like You – no matter what.
Shay Greenwood is a Certified Kingdom Life Coach who loves helping women live with more love, joy, and peace in their lives. She’s a wife to Roosevelt and mom to Bria, 28; Chandler (Bo), 26; Noah, 24; Jacob, 23; and Adam, 13. You can find her @shaygreenwood on Facebook and Instagram and @MommaJaywood on Tiktok.