This Thanksgiving has been one for the record books. It’s been filled with stress, worry, and a bit of arguing. But, this weekend I also learned a very important lesson about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I have a teenager! My teenager is currently completing his high school world language requirement online, so that he could do tech (engineering) and music (band) during regular school time, and he is now 52% behind on the course which ends in less than 2 weeks.

I have basically done his chores, laundry and everything else to allow him to focus on Spanish, and he has done basically nothing. Yeah, he’s done an activity here and there, but his efforts are like trying to drain a pool in two weeks by removing a teaspoon of water each day.

I told him multiple times that I would stop ‘bothering’ him. However, my desire to see him succeed, and the fact that I know he doesn’t see the importance of this now, drives me to persist.

My persistence and patience reminded me that if I was willing to lose sleep, do all of his chores and keep hoping, despite the feeling to give up on multiple occasions, how much more does our Heavenly Father exercise persistence and patience with us.

I read Matthew 7:11 (TPT) which says, “If you, imperfect as you are, know how to lovingly take care of your children and give them what’s best, how much more ready is your heavenly Father to give wonderful gifts to those who ask Him?”

In that moment the 2nd lesson hit me. I was my Heaven Father’s child and instead of asking him for help in my parenting difficulty, I was trying to do it on my own. I paused, prayed, then took my son’s cell phone away.

He was constantly watching videos on his cell phone and I continued to let him keep the phone because I told myself that it was a necessity in today’s world, rather than a privilege as I had told him on many occasions.

By confiscating his phone and sending him to school on the bus without a way of immediate contact, I was trusting my Heavenly Father to keep him safe. I was also removing a major distraction for him.

My touch point was the desire to control things surrounding my son. I see things from a better vantage point than he does, so I strive to ensure that he doesn’t make unnecessary errors along the way.

On the other hand, my Heavenly Father sees things from a much better vantage point. He knows every step and misstep that I will ever take and loves me more than I could ever love my son. That perspective was almost mind-blowing.

How is God using your relationships with others to mirror your relationship with Him? What lessons are you learning?

My son completed the Spanish course and got an A, and I learned some valuable lessons in parenting, and a lot about my relationship with my Heavenly Father.

These are two of the verses that kept me grounded throughout this journey.

“Surrender your anxiety! Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. I am the God above all the nations, and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.” Psalms 46:10 TPT

“But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” Psalm 86:15 NIV