Everyone likes to tell you how good adversity is for your child.

Don't believe me?

Google it.

Look up adversity quotes.

They are overflowing with all of the reasons you should consider it a challenge and rise to the occasion.

Sometimes as a parent - it just isn't that cut and dry.

How long do you watch your child struggle before intervening?

Do you intervene at all?

For me, that is one of the most difficult parenting issues.

I want to be a very hands off mother. Allowing them to experience life and use their own coping skills to adapt.

But sometimes that feels wrong inside.

Like now.

I am watching one of my children struggle immensely.

Facing adversity.

But rather than rising to the challenge - they are sinking.

Losing confidence and belief in themselves that has always been present.

Questioning their abilities and talents.

Talking negatively when I've never heard a negative word before.

I don't like it.

Not one bit.

So now I am questioning myself.

Did I make the right decisions in the past?

Do I encourage them to continue on and meet the challenges head on?

Do I admit that perhaps we went down a path that may have been too overwhelming or inappropriate?

This is when I could use better discernment.

An ability to see things more clearly.

Accurately.

Knowing how to guide my child from this point forward.

But sometimes I feel paralyzed by my lack of discernment.

This is when I know I am best to work on my faith.

"Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to faultfinding." ~ Corrie Ten Boom

So this morning, I remember why I am actually awake early and unable to sleep.

I could attribute it to stress. Or anxiety. Or worry.

But I know that those are not the reasons I am awake.

I am awake because He wants to remind me that I am not in charge. This is not my decision to make alone. That when I am troubled. Confused. Unsure how to guide my children. Wringing my hands is not the answer.

Asking for His help is.

Intercessory prayer.

Before I go charging into my child's life -

Their circumstances.

Hardships and adversities.

I think I need to take some time to sit quietly.

And ask for help for them.

The kind of help that will always supercede anything I have the power to do.

So rather than being up this morning to prepare how I will fight my child's battle today, I am shifting gears.

Praying on their behalf.

It is perhaps the most powerful thing I could do for them in their adversity.

And the most peaceful thing for myself.

"And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. 
For every one that asks receives: and he that seeks finds: and to him that knocks it shall be opened: 
And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? Or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him." ~ Luke 11:9-13