Four ways to love your parents (no matter your age)
Parenting is hard. Once you become a parent, you never stop being a parent.
All parents are learning how to parent in the season that they are in, whether infants, toddlers, teens, young adults, grown adults, or grandparenting; all parents are really trying to do their best and figure it out. When kids are young, they often see parents as heroes; as teens, they often see them as villains; and maybe, just maybe... as adults, they'll see them as friends.
God said in Exodus 20:12 ""Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." When you get married, you "leave your father and mother and become one with your spouse." In doing so, you start a new family with new expectations and responsibilities. But that doesn't mean we are no longer responsible for honoring our parents or showing them love. How can we do this well as we grow older?
Here are four ways:
Pray for them.
Every parent needs prayer. Young kids can pray for their parents. Teens pray for your parents. Adults pray for their parents. We often don't pray for our parents because we don't see them as "needing" anything from us. But every person needs prayer. Ask your parents how you can pray for them and then commit to spending time before the Lord for them.
Call them.
I'm fine if you stop reading this and call your parents. Just check-in. It will make their day to hear your voice. We're all busy, and time flies by. Could you make time to talk to them regularly?
Laugh with them.
The older we get, the more serious we can become. There is something about laughter that reminds us of how loved we are. Think about a funny memory you have with your parents; the next time you call them, talk about it and laugh together.
Forgive them.
No parent is perfect. We all make mistakes. Some mistakes leave wounds that last a while. If your parent has hurt you, either recently or long ago, don't continue to carry that burden with you all of your life. You get one life to live. Do all that you can to reconcile. Reconciliation starts with forgiveness.
This isn't an exhaustive list, just some helpful tips that may spark something in you to love your parents well. Honestly, I hope it's a list that my kids will come across one day; if and when they do, I'll get a phone call.