I’ve been thinking about the speeches that I never end up giving.
Years ago, I was struggling to get my oldest two children to get their piano practice completed. Finally in exasperation, I told them, “One day…one day you will be at some church playing the piano. And I’m going to get up and tell everyone, ‘I get all the credit for them playing the piano. They didn’t want to practice, BUT I MADE THEM!!’”
Time has gone by, and my oldest two children now play in church. Of course, I’ve never stood to my feet and given a passionate speech about who deserved the credit. In fact, I laugh just thinking about it.
There are just so many speeches that I don’t need to give, so my latest speech may be another one of those. It is the “I loved you enough to make you unhappy” speech.
It’s an odd thing since I’m a people pleaser, and my children are some of my favorite people to please. It is the most pleasurable thing to give them things that make them happy.
But every once in awhile, I have known that the decision that would help them the most would be one that would bring unhappiness. Those decisions have been extremely painful for me.
Sometimes in the last twenty years, I have had to make those decisions, knowing that they would not understand. Knowing that they were desperate for a different choice. Knowing that I was bringing sadness to them. But also knowing, that I had to love them enough to do it.
And I’ve thought that maybe someday I could tell them, “I loved you enough to make you unhappy.”
Right now, that speech would not be effective or appreciated…and maybe it never will be.
One of my favorite songs, “Lord You’re the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” has the words, “when troubles come, you’re always there to make me smile.”
Years ago, I changed those words in my songbook. God’s plans for my life include so much more than if I’m merely “happy.”
I may not understand it all. It may not always be the decisions that I would have chosen. Sometimes it may even be painful.
See, He loves me enough to make the hard choices for my life that may bring loneliness…and at times sadness. He loves me enough!
I understand this, and how true it is. Tough love is hard to do. I have a friend that has is known for her quote, “Hard now, Easy Later.” She said yes you can do the “Easy Now” but it will be “Hard Later.”