A Change of Heart

At a time when she was busy with her flock of little ones, aged three, two, and six months, Connie began to realize that she and her husband, Stan, were not parenting the same way. He had a different temperament and gifts, and a distinctly different parenting style. But Connie was a professional; she had years of experience with children as a Child Life Specialist in hospitals. She'd taken many courses on child development. In fact, she had a master's degree in the field. She was sure HER WAY was the right way and only way to handle their children. If only her husband would change and do things HER WAY.
One day in frustration, she sat down on her bed and began to pray about the conflicts they were having. "God, when are You going to show Stan that I'm doing this right, and he should come on board and do it my way?" she asked.
As clearly, yet quietly as she'd heard anything from God, He whispered, "If both of you were exactly the same, one of you wouldn't be necessary!" She knew she didn't want to be the parent who wasn't needed, nor did she want Stan to be expendable.
With those few words from God's heart, a dramatic change took place in Connie's attitude. She began to value her husband's parenting style instead of critcizing it. She began to appreciate his gifts and unique way of relating to their kids, to celebrate their differences instead of being irritated by them. As a result, they had more unity and harmony as parents and a happy peace descended on their home.
-Cheri Fuller from "Quiet Whispers from God's Heart for Women"