Keep Riding

Audio By Carbonatix

The other day, I saw a parent doing what I did with my children when they were little. The parent set up an obstacle course and then proceeded to help their child learn how to navigate it while riding their bike. Like me, they want their children to be ready for any obstructions that might pop up on the sidewalk or in the road as they ride.

It seems that we spend much of our life preparing ourselves and our children to deal with obstacles that may come their way. Some of your children are dealing with an obstacle today. Some of them just got through or around one, and some of them aren’t yet aware that one is coming their way. It’s an obstacle that, more than likely, somebody put in their path. And you hope they’re ready.

But what about you? You’ve taught your children how to maneuver around obstacles, but how are you doing getting around your obstacles? Being part of a family creates all kinds of opportunities to deal with stumbling blocks, barriers, and difficulties. So, whether you are married, have children, are a nephew, uncle, sibling, or child, you will deal with struggles because you are part of some kind of relationship.

I want to encourage you to have a positive attitude as you deal with these hindrances. It’s been said before that it’s not only what we are dealing with that matters, but also how we respond to the situation. As parents, we need to set a good example for our children. This is especially true when the obstacle is created by one of our children. We need to take the high road and show them the way by walking the path of respect and honesty, even if they don’t walk that same way. Always remember that as the parent, you are the adult in the room. This means your reaction may create tension with your children for a while. But, in most cases, they will come around and see the wisdom of your response and learn from it. This is not to say that parents are always right, but there is something to be said for the wisdom of experience that children can benefit from a great deal of the time. If parents are open, they can also learn valuable lessons from their children.

If your obstacle has been created by a peer or someone other than your children, your reaction should be the same. You can still set an example. Always try to look at all sides of the issue. Stand by your values and principles, not your need or want to be right. Extend kindness and grace as needed, even if it’s not returned. You don’t have to continually accept unkindness or belligerence from others—try to look beyond someone’s treatment of you to the root cause of their behavior, and find ways to serve them in love.

Think back to how you felt seeing your child ride through and around those obstacles on their bike and the smile on their face when they finished. They felt proud. They were stronger for having done it, and they were ready to take on bigger challenges. That’s how we should all feel when we get through an obstacle. The experience will help us to win more often at home.