Christianity Oasis Forum

[Tracy L]

I've been doing okay with all this on here but all the sudden my moods are going all over the place.
Been getting very depressed and downtrodden. Feeling some condemnations too from the mistakes of my past. I can see how much I failed as a parent especially. It hurts me so much that I was not the Godly mother I should have been. My oldest daughter is in the world right now and so lost. I won't go into what she is doing cuz right now doesn't matter. The point is I am so worried about her salvation. She is 18yr old and is not living right. I am convicted that it's my fault for not raising her right. I feel like I ruined her faith in God cuz of my actions and non-actions if that makes any sense.
Anyhow, I feel like I'm being overtaken by depression cuz of my illness and I just feel so lost right now.
Please pray for me ya'll.
Thank you so much. I love ya'll.

Tracy

[mlg]

Tracy my sister, I think it's a matter of a few things that are causing your moods. First you have become an active part here at the Oasis, and of course Satan does not like that so he has begun to attack you. This is why you have to make sure that every day you wake up you put on your full armor. The next thing is that you have not fully forgiven yourself of your past. Jesus has already forgiven you, so now it's your turn sis. You have to forgive and let go. Right now your hanging on to the guilt, and that's not what you should do. Sis, about your daughter, I know some of the very best Christians whose children have gone astray once they got out into the world. Sometimes the world can just overtake them, and you have to rememer we all have choices to make. But, I will say, begin sharing Jesus with your child. It's never too late to tell them about Jesus.

My prayers are with you sis. May God's will be done always.

luv ya

[goofy371]

Tracy!

Well I just wanted to add that it is not our responsibility to save somebody, it is God's work, God's responsibility. We can only let God use us in a way He wants, but He can use someone else. I felt guilty for a long time about my sister, but now I realize that I can be with her, love her, to show that way God's love, pray for her and let God work and if He wants He will use me, I am opened to it. God is Faithful, He works in His time.

Praying for you!

[momof3]

Hi Tracy

I just wanted to add on to what's been said here. I too, was not a Christian mom for most of my kids' young lives. Although we went to church, church and Jesus was not the example shown in our home. 2 of my boys are grown now and the Lord has reached both of them in His way. One of mine even had to go to prison before he cried out to the Lord, Who allowed the hardships to save him. The same way He reaches us, is the way He reaches them. Remember that He knew your children before you did. He knows how to reach em. You keep on keeping on and with lots of prayer and intercession, being a living example, reaching others for Christ, the Lord will take care of your kids. There are so many people who were not raised in Christain homes, but the Lord knows how to reach His own.

Let the guilt go now, sis. That isnt from the Lord. Rest in Him and know that He has perfect control over all things. If the enemy can keep you under the bondage of guilt, he will.

love you, sis.
in Jesus,
momo

[Mackenaw]

Hello Tracy

God bless you, this day.

Look at all these loving responses. Truly, look at them. Are they not the love of our Lord reaching out to you. You are loved, Tracy. He is so Good to love us, He is love.

Blessing don't always come in the form we anticipated. Being humbled is a blessing. To receive a revelation that humbles us is unique in itself -- unique in that these lessons can bring us to our knees. It's all in how we receive and respond.

So you were not a perfect parent, huh? None of us were or are. How shall you respond to this revelation, to this blessing? You can choose to respond in shame and despair and allow the enemy of our souls to torture you with shame and regret, or you can receive it and turn your attention back to our Lord. The Truth will set you free.

Confess and repent, confess and repent, confess and repent. See the pattern? For most of us this seems like something we should grow out of us. But what I've found is that I feel closer to God in the humbled state, as long as I keep my focus on Him, not my sins.

We are not a surprise to Him. He knew all the mess-ups, all the bad choices, all the deliberate sins, all the carelessness and selfishness about us, even before we were formed in the womb. He loves us anyway. Included in the "we" and "us" are our children that we didn't properly teach. As much as we love our children, it doesn't come anywhere close to how much He loves them. Our children are not His grandchildren -- they are His children, just like we are. He's got the whole world in His hands.

Tracy, repent, receive His forgiveness, take the correction and walk in His love. He corrects those He loves.

God bless you, Tracy.
In His love,
Sister Mack

[Tracy L]

mlg, goofy and momof3,

Thank you so much for your encouragement. Yes, I do think the enemy is angry that I have found this site. Seems everytime I have taken a few steps to Jesus that satan was right there on my back.
I thought I had forgiven myself for not being the best Christian mom I could be but everyonce in awhile thoughts pop in my head about the past while I was raising them. The reason why I feel so badly about the 18yr old is cuz she was the one who suffered emotionally when I did the bad things (while backslidden) and I have talked to her about Jesus and she doesn't get it. At one point she had so much anger in her she would not even listen to me when I apoligized about my mistakes. She has forgiven me and actually loves me BUT I want her to love Jesus.
Ya'll are right though. I need to give her over to God. I cannot reach her myself but I know He can. And I MUST remember that He loves her so much more than I ever could and that must be ALLOT cuz I love all my babies so much!
Now, as far as witnessing to her, I don't think the Bible beating thing works but I don't want her to think that some of the things she is doing are okay with God. I guess I am at a loss as how far to push the issue. I don't want to push her out of my life either. Does this make any sense?

Luvs to my sis',
Tracy

[mlg]

Tracy when you witness you must surrender totally to the Holy Spirit, He knows how much she can take, and remember sometimes YOU may not be the one sent to reach her, but maybe a friend that you know might be the one. Pray on it sis.

luv ya

[Tracy L]

Oh my dear Mackarooni,
I just saw your post after I had posted. You are so right. As soon as those condemning thoughts come to my head I need to let go of them and cover them with the blood.
And yes, unfortunately, we won't be perfect til we return to our Lord. I just hate that though. Knowing how perfect He is and wondering how He could even look at me. And my mind seems to go into comparing other Christian's lives who were much more faithful than I was. Some of the sins I commited AFTER being saved are so shameful and then I look at other Christians and think "they would NEVER have done that". Does that make sense? The ONE good revelation I have had from my life so far is that I can understand MY parents more, especially my dad. They were loving parents but not perfect and in the past I couldn't understand some of the mistakes they made, BUT the Lord has shown me now how we parents can mess up. And the thing is that I think I have a greater love for them now than in the past cuz of this revelation.
I shall continue my crawl towards the Lord. Praise Him for His mercy.

Tracy