We All Need a Little Help

I am a person who should own a GPS. It's not that I travel much, but when I do I am confident that I know how to get wherever I am going, even if I don't know how to get there. It is not at all logical. I just think I can do it based on instinct and a sole, good experience.

When I was in college my friend Charlotte and I drove to Virgina. On the way we detoured to see a mural in Columbia, South Carolina. Charlotte was an art major. She had seen this mural in an art catalogue and deemed it necessary to further our well rounded education. We called the artist; he gave us directions; we found it. Fast forward about 6 years, my husband and I were traveling to Tennessee and as we approached Columbia I decided he should see this mural. Through memories I didn't know I had, I directed him from the interstate to the mural in downtown Columbia. We only had to back track one block before we found it. I was very pleased with my sense of direction.

Since that one brilliant day of navigation, part of me believes I am the next Marco Polo, but I'm not. The truth is, I can't find the exit at the mall. I have to rely on my children to get through the department stores and back to the right parking lot. Though I feel confident, I still need some help navigating. I can get to the general vicinity of diocesan offices in Orlando, but not exactly to the building.

As I was wandering around downtown Orlando a few months ago, I was reminded that having asked for directions might have been a good idea. Consulting a map, if I had one with me, might have helped. Calling my brother, who lives in Orlando, would have been a good option if my cell phone was not in Lakeland with my son. A GPS would have been great. Last week when I went to Orlando, I had directions from google map. It helped, a lot. Slowly I'm learning.

This is a lot like raising children. If you think you know it all, you are going to miss the mark. Raising children requires more than a parent's instincts. Instincts help get you in the general area, but sometimes you need more information. Friends, family members, the support of the church and prayer should inform all of us in the decisions we make in raising kids. Gathering all of that information together, sifting through it and then deciding on the right path is the work of making good decisions for a family. There is no GPS of childcare, but there are books, teachings and supportive networks to help us discover the best path. It takes some work and the humility to admit we can't do it all by instinct.

Consider the path you are taking to raise your children. Don't wing it. Invest time, prayer and thoughtfulness in your decisions. Once that foundation is laid you can trust your instincts to carry you further.

Blessings,
Michelle