Decisions? Grit, Spit, and Duct Tape

I'm not good at making decisions. Hard decisions in particular, I put off for as long as possible hoping the decision will be made by circumstance rather than my own reasoning capabilities. I think I have a hard time balancing reason with my heart and what is potentially God's call.

That's all pretty deep considering I started this post out that way in order to say, I've been having a tough time deciding what to write about for my first post! The decision came to me while I overheard a line from a movie my children were watching, Madagascar 2. I've seen the movie enough to know exactly what was happening: the plane the penguins had made crashed and Alex the Lion, being his typical highly anxious self, exclaimed, "How are you going to fix it?" I love the penguin's response, "Grit, spit, and a whole lot of duct tape."

The penguin had a git-er-done mentality and was offering a far from perfect solution, none-the-less, it was one solution more than any else could concoct. I think in a lot of ways motherhood is like that. We're constantly expected to have solutions and yet sometimes the solution that works for us is far from what others may consider perfect. It starts with breastfeeding, sleeping arrangements, and health decisions, then carries over to schooling options, extracurriculars, and disciplining. And while my oldest is only five, I can't wait for the advice I'll get on dating, cell phones, internest usage, and so on!

I think that one area where I would not consider myself mediocre mother is in the area of concern for my children's future. I want them to be self-confident, productive adults who aren't afraid to challenge this world toward change, but I also want to protect them from snares that can entangle them. But more than any of that, I want them to know they are loved, loved by God, loved by me and their father. I am convinced that communicating that love will at times require some seemingly unconventional, imperfect solutions to life's toughest parenting problems. At times, it may even require grit, spit, and duct tape.