I was trying to have a devotional evening with my son. As per our assistant pastor's advice, and to help my teenager manage his "teenage" problems and become a better person, he was asked to do study on the Book of Proverbs. So we started yesterday. Chapter 1, verses 1-20. It went wonderfully. He read all the verses, he asked questions, he wrote down the moral. It was a great discussion. I was looking forward to do this again today, BUT! My teenager decided to be uncooperative. And I almost lost it. He knows my limits, and he will push me until I break. Then I yell at him, and scold him telling him he lost his last chance.
And so it happened tonight. He was being too "smart" and he was giving me an attitude. So I told him he needs to go to bed before I would start being nasty. I told him he is wasting his life by choosing what's wrong, and there will be no more chances to improve his character other that the one he just wasted. And this would imply to basically everything. If the teachers give him "another" chance, he should grab it, because there will soon be no more "another" type of chances....you snooze you loose...and this is how life is when you become an adult. I sent him to bed and I was angry and disappointed that my own son refuses to listen to something that he really should listen to.
Sometimes I feel, he will never be as I am...the way I think or the way I see things...but then, I realize I was not any better at his age. I was lost. I knew nothing. I guess it all comes with years. Our experience comes out of our life lessons...Then it dawned on me. I gotta go beyond the limit. There is no limit for a mom. Moms don't give up. I knew I had to do this with him. I called him back stating: "If tomorrow I had an accident I died, you would feel really bad about not being able to talk to me tonight. You would really regret that you threw the chance away to be with me. I know you love me, and I know you probably felt sorry, but you were just too proud to apologize." And I invited him to do the devotion. And we did. And it went fine though he was tired a bit. But he did try.
I don't know how much sank tonight. And with an ADHD kid you never know how much is being retained. But I do know he is a multi-tasker. And I do know how his brain operates. For two reasons - I was ADHD myself, and he is my son.
So do go beyond the limits, step out of boundaries, take the chance and do not give up. It is worth it. Life is short.
