Isaiah 64: 8 “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and you are the potter; and all we are the work of your hand.”

I have two children — a 12-year-old daughter who has the sass of a teenager, and “knows it all”… oh you know, just an occasional (insert sarcasm here). Then there’s my four-year-old who is super stubborn and wants to do everything herself.

I love them dearly and I would not change being a parent for anything! Being a parent is a blessing, however the duty, the responsibility, the correcting, the discipline (in a Godly and loving way of course) and the 1 million reminders to our girls to listen and follow directions is exhausting.

Can you relate as a parent, an aunt uncle, grandparent, caregiver, babysitter, etc.? Attempting to train, mold and shape our children today is challenging… especially when we forget that we do not have to go through this journey of parenting and caregiving alone.

Psalm 64:8 reminds us that we have a Father that shapes us with the amazingly beautiful work of His hands. Scripture tells us that He is the Potter, shaping and molding us, and we are the clay.

We are not supposed to have all the answers in parenting. We must lean on the Father — the Potter, to help us shape our children. Correcting is hard, consistency is hard, reminding them to brush their teeth for the millionth time is hard, but just think about how many times God reminds us of those “Brushing your teeth” moments?

How many times does God tell us to love our neighbor NO MATTER WHAT (gender, color, race, beliefs etc.) and yet we find ourselves struggling to love just as He instructed? That is one example, however, I can think of MANY more.

There are moments when God instructs me personally to do something and I either forget what He said, am too stubborn, harbor hard feelings, or I allow others to shape and mold me and my thoughts rather than reading His words and clinging to them.

There’s a beautiful chorus that we sing in the Salvation Army titled “Spirit of the Living God.” Perhaps you sing it at your church or have heard it before.

The lyrics sing, “Spirit of the living God, fall a fresh on me. Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me.”

If we are to do anything in life, including parenting, we, must allow the Lord to first shape and mold us, that we might be able to help others be led to Jesus and in turn be shaped and molded by Him. May we all be open to the Fathers hands so He can mold us into what He wants us to be. Amen.

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Finding Faith is written by area pastors. This week’s column comes from Captain Holly Johnson of Salvation Army Chapel, Lock Lock Haven.