God as Parent

“O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, and you are the potter. We all are formed by your hand.” (Isaiah 64:8 NLT)

I felt neglected as a child and browbeaten as a young adult. Even now, as a middle-aged woman, I am still dealing with the ramifications. I have tried to take care of my Inner Child, but my Inner Parent is critical and demanding. I scold myself for unproductivity and self-indulgence. I cover myself in guilt and shame. I have difficulty being gentle, nurturing, and accepting of myself.  Yes, I am a malformed, dysfunctional vessel.

God is the Real Parent, while earthly parents are merely foster parents. The Lord has always watched over me, even when I wasn’t aware of His presence. He was always close by, making up for the deficiencies of earthly parents. So, I ask God to repair me by re-parenting me. God is the potter and I am the clay. Even though I am deformed, He can reform me.

I too am an inadequate parent. So I ask God to take over and re-parent my child as well. I pray that my child will be reshaped and restored according to God’s intended purposes.